Đề tiếng anh ứng tuyển của FPT

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Đề thi tuyển dụng FPT – Tiếng anh B – Đề 1
THE CORPORATION FOR FINANCING AND
PROMOTING TECHNOLOGY
—————o0o—————
ENGLISH TEST
Time allowed: 60 minutes
50 questions
PART 1
Read the letter below and choose the opinion A, B, C or D which best fits each gap.
Dear Mr. Hill,
With (1)_____ to your advertisement in the educational Gazette I would like to (2)_____ for one of the
scholarships your Trust is offering to students who wish to continue their (3)_____ at a British university.
I am 22 years old and have just (4)_____ in English Philology from the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain.
I am very interested in doing a master’s degree in English Literature. My (5)_____ interest is the English
playwright Arnold Wesker. However, it is almost impossible for me to study Wesker here in Spain, as he is not
very well-known. I would really need to come to Britain. Unfortunately, the (6)_____ cost of university fees in your
country makes that almost impossible. I would be leaving away from home. My parents could contribute
something towards my keep but that’s all.
My (7)_____ of English is good. I passed the Cambridge First Certificate examination last year with grade A. I
hope you will (8)_____ my application.
Yours sincerely,
Carmen Moreno
1. A connection
B reference
C relation
D concern
2. A demand
B request
C inquire
D apply
3. A career

B studies
C interests
D subjects
4. A completed
B finished
C graduated
D studied
5. A peculiar
B general
C individual
D particular
6. A big
B extremely
C high
D expensive
7. A level
B proficiency
C grade
D stage
8. A pass
B consider
C agree
D regard
PART 2
Read the text below and fill each gap with one suitable word. An example is given.
THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD UNDERGRADUATE
A child prodigy of four is receiving computer lessons at Brunel University, in London. Nicholas
MacMahon (0)__is__ studying at university because he is (9)_____ clever for school. A senior lecturer at the
university, Valso Koshy, said (10)_____ boy was remarkably intelligent.
Nicholas spoke fluently before he was one and (11)_____ the time he was 18 months old he was taking

telephone messages. This (12)_____ soon followed by conversational French. These are the trademarks of a
highly-gifted child, unusual (13)_____ not unique. The strange thing (14)_____ Nicholas is his reading- he
taught(15)_____ to read before he could speak. Ms Koshy, (16)_____ expert on gifted children, says Nicholas is
quite exceptional. Yet ‘exceptional’ understates his amazing ability (17)_____ read, almost from birth. ‘He was
talking when he was one (18)_____ we realized from the start he (19)_____ read,’ his father said. ‘Soon after, he
was correcting my spelling, words like caterpillar. Now he identifies insects by (20)_____ Latin names’.
The list (21)_____ achievements is impressive, but frightening. A four-year-old who (22)_____ tell a Boeing 747
from a DC10, devours encyclopaedias, reads The Daily Telegraph and is well on the way to becoming a violin
virtuoso is (23)_____ normal.
PART 3
Complete this summary of Marisol’s trip. Fill each gap with a word or expression to do with airports and traveling
by air from the box below. An example is given.
duty-free
took off
immigration
departure lounge
gate
runway
stewardess
check-in
passengers
excess baggage
landed
customs

1.
1.

scheduled

charter
baggage claim boarding card
crew
aisle
Last autumn, Marisol went to England for a holiday. She took a (0)__charter___ flight rather than
a (24)_____ one because it was much cheaper. She arrived at the airport and went straight to
the (25)_____ desk where the ground steward gave her a (26)_____ with her seat number on it. She had too
much luggage and she was almost charged for (27)_____ . Unfortunately, she was too late for a window seat and
had to sit by the (28)_____ . Afterwards, she went to the (29)_____ and waited for her flight to be called.
Eventually, after a short delay, she was told to go to (30)_____ number 19 and boarded the plane. The captain
welcomed the (31)_____ aboard on behalf of himself and the rest of the (32)_____ . The plane (33)_____ from
the (34)_____ and the flight went smoothly. After she had had a meal, the air (35)_____ came round
offering (36)_____ goods. Marisol bought some perfume and cigarettes. As soon as the plane had (37)_____ at
London Airport, she went to the (38)_____area to pick up her luggage. At first, she thought she had lost it and
gave a description to a clerk. Fortunately, just as she was about to leave the airport, the luggage turned up. Half
an hour later, she passed through (39)_____and (40)_____ and met her friend and her parents who had been
waiting for her.
PART 4
Read the passage and answer questions 41-50.
HOW TO WRITE A WINNING RESUME
The main purpose of a resume is to convince an employer to grant you an interview. There are two kinds. One is
the familiar “tombstone” that lists where you went to school and where you’ve worked in chronological order. The
other is what I call the “functional” resume- descriptive, fun to read, unique to you and much more likely to land
you an interview.
It’s handy to have a “tombstone” for certain occasions. But prospective employers throw away most of those
unrequested “tombstone” lists, preferring to interview the quick rather than the dead.
What follows are tips on writing a functional resume that will get read- a resume that makes you come alive and
look interesting to employers.
Put yourself first: In order to write a resume others will read with enthusiasm, you have to feel important about
yourself.

Sell what you can do, not who you are: Practice translating your personality traits, character, accomplishments
and achievements into skill areas. There are at least five thousand skill areas in the world of work.
Toot your own horn! Many people clutch when asked to think about their abilities. Some think they have none at
all! But everyone does, and one of yours may just be the ticket an employer would be glad to punch- if only you
show it.
Be specific, be concrete and be brief!
Turn bad news into good: Everybody has had disappointments in work. If you had to mention yours, look for the
positive side.
Never apologize: If you’re returning to the work force after fifteen years as a parent, simply write a short
paragraph (summary of background) in place of a chronology of experience. Don’t apologize for working at being
a mother; It’s the hardest job of all. If you have no special training or higher education, just don’t mention
education.
How to psych yourself up: The secret is to think about the self before you start writing about yourself. Take four
or five hours off, not necessarily consecutive, and simply write down your every accomplishment in your life, on
or off the job, that made you feel effective. Don’t worry at first about what it all means. Study the list and try to
spot patterns. As you study your list, you will come closer to the meaning: identifying your marketable skills. Once
you discover patterns, give names to your cluster of accomplishments (leadership skills, budget management
skills, child development skills etc.) Try to list at least three accomplishments under the same skills heading. Now
start writing your resume as if you mattered. It may take four drafts or more, and several weeks, before you’re
ready to show it to a stranger (friends are usually too kind) for a reaction. When you’re satisfied, send it to a
printer; a printed resume is far superior to photocopies. It shows an employer that you regard job hunting as
serious work, worth doing right.
Isn’t that the kind of person you’d want working for you?
The author calls one type of resume a ‘tombstone’ (line 2) because:
A it lists your achievements in chronological order.
B it lists what you’ve done in the past rather than what you can do in the future.
‘Quick’ (line 6) means:
A fast.

1.
1.
1.

1.

1.
1.

1.

1.

B efficient.
C alive.
‘Toot your own horn!’ (line 15) means:
A don’t be modest.
B tell the employer what you’ve done in the past.
‘Many people clutch when asked to…’ (line 15) means:
A many people panic.
B many people underestimate themselves.
‘One of yours may be just the ticket an employer would be glad to punch…’ (line 16-17)
A a good indication of your abilities.
B something an employer might find interesting.
C exactly what is required.
‘How to psych yourself up…’ (line 25) means:
A make a list of your abilities before you write your resume.
B how to prepare yourself mentally before writing your resume.
C what to do.
Two kinds of resume are

A chronological and descriptive resumes.
B tombstone and functional resumes.
Which kind of resume should you send to an employer
A a printed resume.
B a photocopied resume.
C a handwritten resume.
What should you practice translating into skill areas
A personality traits.
B character.
C accomplishments and achievements.
D all the above.
How many skill areas are there in the world of work
A at least 4000
B at least 4500
C at least 5000
KEY:

10.

B

26.

Boarding card

D

27.

Excess baggage

B

28.

Aisle

C

29.

Departure lounge

D

30.

Gate

C

31.

Passengers

A

32.

Crew

B

33.

Took off

Too

34.

Runway

The

35.

Stewardess

11.

By

36.

Duty-free

12.

Was

37.

Landed

13.

But

38.

Baggage claim

14.

About

39.

Customs

15.

Himself

40.

Immigration

16.

An

41.

B

17.

To

42.

C

18.

And

43.

A

19.

Could

44.

A

20.

Their

45.

C

21.

Of

46.

B

22.

Can

47.

B

23.

Not/hardly

48.

A

24.

Scheduled

49.

D

25.

Check-in

50.

C

Đề thi tuyển dụng FPT – Tiếng anh B – Đề 2
THE CORPORATION FOR FINANCING AND
PROMOTING TECHNOLOGY
—————o0o—————
ENGLISH TEST
Time allowed: 60 minutes
50 questions
PART ONE

The following people want to attend evening classes. Look at the information about evening classes for the autumn term.
Decide which class would be the most suitable for each person. Mark the correct letter (A-H) on the answer sheet for
questions 1-5. There is some headings (A-H) which you do not need to use.
Part one
Example:
A

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Advanced French Language

Monday. Wednesday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
This course is for people who have already done French for at least five years. It will consist of reading and discussion.
There will also be lessons in French composition. There will be an examination at the end of the course, and a certificate

for successful students.
B

Car Repairs

Wednesday. Thursday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
Save money on garage bills by learning to look after your own car and do simple repairs at home. This is a course for
beginners. No previous experience is necessary.
C

First Aid

Tuesday. 6.30 – 8.30 p.m.
Why not study for a certificate in First Aid? People on this course will learn to deal with accidents in the home and at
work: what to do in the case of burns, cuts, broken bones and other common injures.
D

Beginning Spanish

Wednesday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
Have fun learning Spanish for your holidays! It will be simple conversational Spanish- the chief purpose of the course is
enjoyment. Previous knowledge of the language is unnecessary- anyone can join this course.
E

Discovering Our City’s History

Monday. Thursday. 6.30 – 9.00 p.m.
Are you curious to learn about the history which is buried beneath the streets of our city? The area has a fascinating
history. This term the class will concentrate on the first five hundred years of our city’s past.
F

Twentieth Century Literature

Thursday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
Study the works of the major twentieth century writers, including foreign novels and poetry in translation. This informal
group will read and discuss a different novel or poem each week.
G

Keep Up Your Office Skills

Tuesday. Thursday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
At last an opportunity to learn to use the latest electronic office equipment. Increase your typing speed. Find out about

new business methods and get to know how to run a modern office.
H

Nature Studies

Tuesday. Thursday. 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.
A practical course in which students will learn to recognize plants, wild animals and birds in the countryside. There will
be monthly trips to various places of interest to watch animals and birds in their natural world.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Jane Brown is a housewife. She is not interested in getting a qualification, but wants to go to a class one evening a

week where she can talk to people.
Bill Jones studied both French and Spanish for five years at school but he failed his exams. Now he thinks he
might get a better job if he has a language qualification.
Sam Cartwright is out of work. He used to work in a factory as a clerk. He feels that his present skills need to be
brought more up to date.
Jack Tanner manages a large office. He is very busy and can only attend classes once a week. He wants to do a
course which will help him to relax. He is planning to tour France and Spain on holiday.
Christine Black wants to learn something practical and useful. She is not free on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

PART TWO
Look at the statements below about passengers arriving at an airport. Read the text to decide if each statements is correct or
incorrect. Mark T (True) on your answer sheet if you think the notes are right and mark F (False) if you think the notes are
wrong.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PASSENGERS
Arrival
When the plane lands, you are requested to keep your seat belt fastened until the light goes off and remain in your seat until
the plane stops moving. This is for your own comfort and safety.
Leaving the airport
If you are ending your journey at this airport, you should go up the escalator to passport control and customs. If you are
travelling further by rail or coach, you will find an information desk outside the customs hall, as well as a bank where you
can change money.
Catching another flight
If you are planning to change planes, you should follow the signs to the waiting lounge, where you should check in and wait
to board your connecting flight. There will be an announcement when your flight is due to take off. Our ground staff will be
happy to tell you.
Leaving the plane
All passengers leaving the plane should make sure that they take everything with them. If you have checked in any luggage,
you should remember to collect it from the baggage area inside the airport.
Continuing on this flight
We regret that passengers who are continuing their journey on this flight may not get off the plane. You may not smoke while

the plane is on the ground.

Thank you for flying with us. We hope to be able to welcome you on board again soon.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

All passengers must leave the aeroplane.
You must wait until the light goes out before undoing your seat belt.
Passengers who are leaving the airport must first go to passport control.
Passengers continuing by another plane must go through customs.
You can change money before you go to passport control.
You must go up the escalator to the waiting lounge if you are changing planes.
Passengers in the waiting lounge will hear an announcement when their plane is ready to leave.
No one is allowed to smoke in the airport.
The aeroplane is going on to another place after some of the passengers get off.
15. Passengers who are leaving the plane should check that they have not left anything behind.
PART THREE
I- Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (16-21) of the article. There
is one extra heading which you do not need to use. An example is given.
A Decide on a dream
B Be ambitious

C Get informed
D Sell yourself
E Get experience
F Be realistic
G Use your contacts
H Be positive
HOW TO GET THE JOB OF YOUR DREAMS
0

H

The main complaint from young people these days seems to be ‘I don’t know what I want to do’ followed closely by ‘It’s
pointless trying anyway.’ Times have changed and the job market is not what it was with even graduates living off state
unemployment benefits. But there is work if you want it, and if you are prepared to try hard and follow our handy and
helpful plan for Getting The Job Of Your Dreams, you can still find your first foothold on the career ladder.
16

Compromise, improvise and give up your ideas of walking straight into a company director’s job and you may find that later
rather than sooner you are engaged in doing a useful and rewarding job.
17

Think about what you would like to do. If you hate children, forget about primary school teaching. If you cant’ stand writing,
forget about journalism. Do you want to work abroad? Do you want to work in an office? Be imaginative! Don’t limit
yourself to what you want to be, but to what you like to do. And watching telly doesn’t count!
18

If you like listening to people’s problems and helping your friends out when they’re in tricky situations, you should find out
about the kind of jobs which involve this sort of work. Psychotherapy, social work, teaching, and personnel management are
some of the jobs you could do. Find out what you would have to do in the job, and how you could get qualified.

19

Get in touch with people you know who already have your dream job. Ask to spend a day ‘shadowing’ them. They can
explain how they got where they are today, the pros and cons, the salary and other details and you can first-hand experience
of what the job involves.
20

It’s not too late to volunteer your free time for the sake of your curriculum vitae. Write off and offer your services free. Then
impress your colleagues by learning fast and being nice to everyone. Who knows, they may even offer you a job. And you
can still claim unemployment benefit while you’re volunteering, so long as you make an effort to find paid employment.
21

It will take more than an impressive curriculum vitae and a smart suit to get you a job but you can’t go wrong with a
carefully worded ‘Hire me’ letter mailed to prospective employers. Who knows, your letter could end up on the desk of a
compassionate employer. What have you got to lose?
II- Read the text again and find words or phrases in the article with these meanings (22-30). The paragraph number is given
in brackets.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

22. useless (0)
23. accept less then you wanted (1)

24. giving personal satisfaction and pleasure (1)
25. difficult, awkward (3)
26. contact (4)
27. advantages and disadvantages (4)
28. learned directly, not from books or other people (4)
29. people you work with in a professional job (5)
30. kind and caring (6)
PART FOUR
Read the text below and then select from the answer choices the word that best fits each blank (31-40).
In the US, industries that generate hazardous wastes want to dispose of them as cheaply as possible. Private companies hired
to dispose of this waste compete with each other to offer the lowest prices to these industries. The government does not get
involved, beyond setting minimum safety standards.
Unfortunately, the __(31)__ of companies that generate and dispose of waste is to save money, __(32)__ to guarantee safety.
These companies usually send waste to landfills because this is cheaper than recycling or incineration. Disposal firms who
want to increase their business must cut corners to lower costs and __(33)__ customers. At the same time, relatively
__(34)__ is done to reduce the volume of waste generated, because disposal costs __(35)__ relatively modest.

Things are different in Denmark. There the government __(36)__ in the waste disposal process beginning __(37)__ the front
end. Together with industry, the government formed a corporation to establish and __(38)__ waste disposal facilities. This
company, called Kommunichem, has a __(39)__ on waste disposal. Generators of hazardous waste __(40)__ ship their waste
to one of Kommunichem’s disposal facilities. In this system, there is no price competition in the waste disposal business.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

8.
9.
10.

31. A
32. A
33. A
34. A
35. A
36. A
37. A
38. A
39. A
40. A

solution
not
survive
more
still
interferes
to
operate
power
help

B license
B just
B efficient
B this

B have
B participates
B by
B found
B profit
B disposal

C importance
D goal
C besides
D something
C gain
D prosper
C recycling
D little
C remain
D cheap
C involves
D control
C of
D at
C prepare
D generate
C monopoly
D responsibility
C take
D must

PART FIVE
Most of the lines in this text contain an unnecessary word. A few of the lines are correct. Read the text carefully, find the

extra words and write them down in your answer sheet. Tick any lines that are correct. Two examples are given.
0 Having a bad memory can be dangerous. Have you ever left
00 from the house without remembering to turn off the gas
41 and almost have caused a fire? I have. And more than once
42 time as well. Now even when I remember to do it I
43 convince to myself that I have forgotten. The picture in
44 my mind is so vivid that I rush home imagining that fire45 engines outside of and flames pouring through the
46 window. But of course I find everything in order.
47 Forgetting things can be too embarrassing as well. I may
48 seem like incredible but on one occasion I actually forgot
49 the name of my flat-mate. We had known us each other for
50 two years. I didn’t dare ask her that- she would have
thought I was mad- and two whole days passed before I
finally remembered. If I’m honest, I have to admit that it was
embarrassing and worrying. However, there are advantages.
You can avoid unpleasant experiences like the trips to dentist

___ü___
__from__

simply by forgetting you had an appointment.

KEY
F

26.

Get in touch with

A

27.

Pros and cons

G

28.

First-hand

D

29.

Colleagues

C

30.

Compassionate

F

31.

D

T

32.

A

T

33.

C

F

34.

D

10.

F

35.

C

11.

F

12.

T

13.

F

14.

T

15.

T

16.

F

17.

A

18.

C

19.

G

20.

E

21.

D

22.

Pointless

23.

Compromise

24.

Rewarding

36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.

44.
45.
46.
47.
48.

B
D
A
C
D
Have
Time
To
that
Of
ü
Too
Like
Us

49.
25.

Tricky

50.

That

Đề thi tuyển dụng FPT – Tiếng Anh B – Đề 3
THE CORPORATION FOR FINANCING AND
PROMOTING TECHNOLOGY
—————o0o—————
ENGLISH TEST
Time allowed: 60 minutes
50 questions

Part 1
Read the following article and choose the best answers to questions 1-5.

Secrets of the Face
Is it really possible to judge someone’s character from their face? The Chinese seem to think so. For over 2,000
years they have been practising Siang Mien, which is the art of judging character and predicting fortune from an
analysis of the face. It developed in the ancient imperial courts of China and consisted of jealously guarded
secrets that were hidden away in special books which only a very few could look at.
These secrets cannot have been that well guarded and must have got out because practically all Chinese
practise some form of face analysis. Mothers tell their daughters that men with flat noses and small ear lobes will
make shy and rather dull husbands.
So how does this analysis work? Well, to start with, people’s faces can be classified according to one of ten basic
shapes, each of which has its own special name. A triangular face, for example, is called a fire-face. One which is
square is known as a wall-face, while one which is diamond shaped is a jade-face. There are even bucket-faces!
Once the basic shape has been decided, then parts of the face such as the eyes, nose, chin and mouth can be
analyzed in their turn. People who have not got conventional or beautiful faces should not worry, as ugly people
tend to be lucky.
Anyway, let us see how Siang Mien works by using Princess Diana as a practical example. To begin with, we can
say that she has got a jade-face which means that she must be strong-willed. This shape also belongs to people
who are said to have had difficult chilhoods. As you may know, the Princess’s parents were divorced when she
was a child and this time must have been a period of great unhappiness.

Turning to more specific features, we can see that one eye is a little larger than the other. It is a known fact that
people with eyes of different sizes are often brought up by stepparents. They are also believed to be charming as
well as being capable of great jealousy. We can see from her photographs that the top of her ears goes above
the line of her eyebrows. People who have high ears such as hers are likely to become famous before the age of
30, while those who combine this with eyes of different sizes will be lucky.

1.

1. Siang Mien

A was a secret art.
B was known by emperors.
C is quite recent.
D is generally practised.

1.

2. Chinese mothers think men with
A big ears are exciting.
B small ear lobes are kind.
C flat noses are not interesting.
D small ear lobes and flat noses can’t be trusted.

1.

3. A jade-face is best described as
A flat at the bottom and pointed at the top.
B pointed at the top and bottom.

C pointed at the bottom but flat at the top.
D oval.

1.

4. People with eyes of different sizes
A often have stepparents.
B are usually unhappy.
C are often divorced.
D are supposed to be generous.

1.

5. Princess Diana
A proves the truth of Siang Mian.
B has low ears.
C was over 30 when she became famous.

D has an ordinary face.

Part 2
Read the following text and then select from the answer choices at the bottom of the text the word that best fills
each blank.
If you ask most people to list what makes them like someone on first meeting, they will say personality,
intelligence, and sense of humor. But they are probably deceiving themselves. The characteristic that impresses
people the most (6)_____ meeting anyone, from a job applicant (7)_____ a classmate, is apprearance.
Unfair(8)_____ it may seem, attractive people are frequently preferred (9)______ their less attractive peers.
Research begun in the early 70s has shown that (10)_____ only do good looks influence such things as choice of
friends and lovers, but they can also affect grades, selection for jobs, and (11)_____ the outcome of a trial. The

very first research on this (12)_____ showed that the more attractive a person is, the more
positive (13)_____ people will attribute to him or her. Attractive people are viewed as (14)______ happier, more
sensitive, more interesting, and having better character than their less attractive counterparts.
Related research has investigated (15)_____ attractiveness influences sex typing, the tendency of
people(16)_____ assign certain stereotypical qualities to each sex. Along with (17)_____ the good qualities
people associate (18)_____ good looks, attractive people tend to fit easily into sexual stereotypes. For example,
attractive women are often (19)_____ as being more feminine and attractive men as more masculine.
Good looks can be a serious (20)_____ for some people. (21)_____ women, in work situations that conflict with
sexual stereotypes. For instance, attractive women might be (22)_____ a real disadvantage (23)_____ they
aspire to occupations in (24)_____ stereotypically male traits, such as aggressiveness, are
considered(25)_____ for success.

1.
2.
3.
4.

6. A. when
7. A. for
8. A. that
9. A. than

B. for
B. to
B. advantage
B. from

C. is
C. as
C. as

C. by

D. important
D. or
D. because
D. over

10. A. the

B. not

C. people

D. appearance

11. A. intelligence

B. to

C. even

D. get

12. A. has

B. research

13. A. impression

C. phenomenon

D. ease

B. the

C. characteristics

D. other

14. A. being

B. the

C. more

D. if

15. A. that

B. how

C. about

D. on

16. A. can

B. to

C. who

D. and

17. A. research

B. some

C. this

D. all

18. A. the

B. that

19. A. tending

B. perceived

C. with
C. said

D. also
D. consider

20. A. disadvantage

B. advantage

C. matter

D. reason

21. A. moreover

B. especially

C. as

D. for

22. A. at

B. in

C. having

23. A. than

B. when

C. that

24. A. their

B. which

C. possessing

D. some

25. A. more

B. negative

C. necessary

D. as

D. taken
D. because

Part 3
In most lines of the letter below, there is one unnecessary word. It is either a spelling error or does not fit in with
the sense of the text. For each numbered line 26-35, find the unnecessary word and then write the word in the
space on your answer sheet. Some lines are correct. Indicate these lines with a tick (ü). The exercise begins with
two examples (0) and (00).
0

a

00

ü

0

Dear Andy,

00

Thanks a lot for the lovely letter. It was a great news about your promotion. Well done. I am really sorry
for not having written earlier but life has been busy since moving here. What’s more, I have just started a
new job.

26
27

I’ve been taken on as a shop assisstant in a bookshop store. The other staff are nice and friendly, and it’s
quite well paid.

28
29

By the way, the other day I bumped into Anna Granger in a bookshop. Guess what! She has just moved
here too. She told me some awfully news though. You’ll be sad to hear that Mr. Green, our old teacher,
passed away last month. Poor Mr. Green. Still, life goes on.

30
31

Incidentally, I’ve aranged to go to the theatre to see ‘Cats’ with Anna in a couple of week time. Would you
like to come too? You can stay at my place. Do let me know as I’ll have to get tickets.

32

Anyway, I must sign off as I want to catch the post.

33

Hope to see you soon.

34

Lots of love,

35

Celia

Part 4
Complete the story with the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets. An example is given.

Five years ago I ___had to____ (have to) make a big decision. At the time I ___36____ (work) for a small
engineering company. However, things were not going very well for the company and it ___37____ (lose) money.
One day while we ___38____ (work) as normal, the boss told us that the company ___39____ (be) bankrupt. We
were all unemployed.
That lunch-time we went to the pub as usual. We were all very depressed. I ___40____ (work) at the company
for over fifteen years and some of the people ___41____ (be) there longer than that. Well, of course we
___42____ (talk) about the problem. Then the landlord of the pub heard the news. He ___43____ (say): ‘Why
don’t you buy the company?’ At first we all laughed, but then we started to discuss it properly. We ___44____
(know) the problems. The company ___45____ (lose) a lot of customers, because it ___46____ (not develop)
new products. But finally we ___47____ (decide) to go for it.
So we bought the company. The first few years ___48____ (be) very difficult. But we worked hard and we
___49____ (have) a bit of luck. We finally turned the corner three years ago. Since then we ___50____ (do)
pretty well. Last year we took on four new people and so far this year we have taken on another ten. It was a big
gamble six years ago, but I haven’t regretted it for a minute.
.