English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5

Do English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5 to improve your reading skills and prepare for English Olympiad and an exam.

Reading Comprehension Test for Year 11 Students
Level B2/C1

English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5 Text 1

Read the text about six very unusual tourist attractions. For questions 1-6, choose the correct answer.

The Most Unusual Tourist Attractions

A. Island of Dolls, Mexico
Deep in the verdant waterways of Xochimilco near Mexico City lies a small island with a history that chills to the bone. The Island of Dolls is a place where countless dolls, in varying states of decay, hang ominously from trees. These dolls, weathered by the elements, are said to be an offering by a grieving caretaker to soothe the restless spirit of a young girl who drowned in the canal nearby. Visitors describe an intense atmosphere, where the silence is broken only by the whispering leaves and the unblinking gazes of plastic figures. It’s an attraction that blends folklore, sadness, and the supernatural.

B. Temple of Rats, Deshnok, India
At the Karni Mata Temple in the small town of Deshnok, Rajasthan, thousands of rats scurry underfoot, revered as sacred. Locals and travellers alike tread carefully so as not to disturb these holy creatures, believed to be the reincarnated kin of the goddess Karni Mata. The air is filled with the musky scent of incense and the quiet chitter of rodents. Offerings of milk and grain are left for them, and it’s considered particularly auspicious to spot the rare white rat among the throng.

C. The Gum Wall, Seattle
Adjacent to the box office for Seattle’s Market Theater, this colourful wall covered with used chewing gum is a quirky testament to spontaneous urban art. Starting in the early 1990s as a peculiar habit by theatregoers, it has transformed into a picturesque collage. Despite several cleanings of the walls, the gum-sticking prevailed, and the authorities eventually reversed course and embraced the eccentric tradition.

D. Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Dunedin’s claim to fame is Baldwin Street, recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s steepest street. Visitors huff up the 35% grade slope, where the footpath is practically vertical, and houses sit at gravity-defying angles. This quirky urban wonder is a hub for novelty events, including the annual Jaffa Race, where thousands of spherical candies roll down to the amusement of spectators, turning this steep street into a spectacle of community and celebration.

E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
Driving through the arid landscape of Cabazon, California, travellers are greeted by the sight of enormous prehistoric beasts. These life-sized concrete dinosaurs, remnants of a prehistoric-themed park, loom large against the desert sky. Visitors can clamber up the stairs into the belly of ‘Dinny the Dinosaur’ for a whimsical view or browse the accompanying gift shop nestled within ‘Mr. Rex.’ It’s a playful homage to the giants of the past, attracting those with a taste for kitsch and nostalgia.

F. Catacombs, France
Major public health problems led the Parisians in the late 18th century to evacuate the bones from their largest cemetery, the Saints-Innocents, which had accumulated over approximately 1,000 years. Today, twenty meters beneath the bustling and romantic streets of Paris, the Catacombs represent a dark and introspective journey into the city’s history. This subterranean maze of tunnels is a stark reminder of the finite nature of life, where the bones of over six million people are meticulously arranged, creating a silent and sombre tableau. Visitors descend into this realm of darkness, walking through corridors lined with the remains of past Parisians, a poignant and reflective experience that’s as humbling as it is macabre.

Choose the best answer to the questions:

Which place might you stumble across on your way to see a performance?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Where might you be inclined to search for something that uniquely distinguishes itself from the rest?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Where will you be more likely to struggle to find your way back?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Which attraction is a testament to remarkable persistence?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Which place was created to appease an afflicted soul?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Which place offers sights from a peculiar height?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Which place brings the locals together?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs
Which place will fill you with a sense of eerie isolation?
A. Island of Dolls
B. Temple of Rats
C. The Gum Wall
D. Baldwin Street
E. California’s Life-Sized Dinosaurs
F. Catacombs

English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5 Text 2

Read an article about the rise of a cashless society, and for questions 1 to 6, choose the correct answer.

Do We Really Need Cash Anymore?

When the Covid-19 pandemic spread around the globe, many banks took action. The Federal Reserve began to quarantine money, while in some regions of China, banknotes were taken away and disinfected. 1 __. The public responded positively. In the UK, the number of contactless payments increased by 36% between 2020 and 2021.

Today, many people are embracing the cashless economy. After all, it comes with many advantages. For a start, it’s safer, as cash is easily stolen. 2 __. Mobile payments are even more secure. As well as that, all your transactions are logged, making record-keeping far simpler. 3 __. Cashless transactions make it easier for them to collect data, identify economic trends and detect fraud.

However, it seems as if we are just not ready to say goodbye to cash for good. Recent data shows that cash has made a comeback since the cost of living started to rise steeply. 4 __. It was the case during USA’s Great Depression and in Iceland during the Credit Crunch of 2008. Using notes and coins helps people budget, whereas, with electronic payments, it’s harder to keep track of where your money is going.

Even if cash payments do not vanish entirely, our economies are transitioning to become far less reliant on cash than they once were. And while switching to electronic payments is simple and convenient for many people, this isn’t true for everyone. 5 __. An increasing number of stores have stopped accepting cash payments altogether, meaning that such people may become more marginalised. Moreover, alongside the decline in cash usage, the number of ATMs and local banks has dropped significantly. 6 __.

Despite the popularity of electronic transactions, it’s clear that they won’t become the sole transaction method, at least in the near future. And as companies rush towards finding ever more convenient transaction methods, it’s important not to abandon those who prefer to pay in the traditional way.

Gap Fillers

A. Credit and debit cards are too, but it’s possible to trace payments and cancel the cards.
B. At the same time, banks encouraged the public to avoid using cash and make electronic payments where possible.
C. This makes access to cash increasingly hard for those who depend on it.
D. Banks, businesses and governments are also keen to make the transition.
E. That’s not unusual since people tend to prefer having paper money at hand when times are hard.
F. The most cash-friendly societies in the world, China and Sweden, utilise innovative ways to make quick, simple payments.
G. There are concerns about those who rely on cash, such as the homeless, the undocumented or the elderly.
H. After all, it comes with many advantages.

English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5 Text 3

Read the text about the changes in workplace culture and employee benefits at Trevex, a large multinational company. For questions 1-10, decide if the statements are True or False.

The Most Sought-after Company Benefits

I work in the HR department at a large multinational company, Trevex, and part of my role is to review the company’s employee benefits programme. As you can imagine, the benefits we offer have changed hugely since the Covid pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, Trevex was always touted as having great perks. We had nap rooms, a relaxed work environment with lots of different options for where you worked, free meals, child care facilities, an on-site doctor’s surgery and free health checks. There was even subsidised accommodation on campus. Basically, we had everything available to allow our employees to work without interference or distraction from the outside world. That’s not to say that it was an all-work-and-no-play sort of place. We offered excellent vacation time with the option to buy extra days, and lots of people took advantage of our gym, spa and subsidised excursions.

It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, though. We did get considerable criticism from those who thought we were a sort of cult that enticed young, talented men and women and turned them into machines, giving them everything they could possibly need in return for their undivided attention and work. I don’t think that is entirely fair. After all, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a company wanting to get the most out of the workers it is paying to employ.
No one was forced to work overtime, although most chose to do so. Anyone who didn’t like the conditions was free to leave. However, our staff turnover was indeed high. Lots of employees experienced burnout after several years at the grindstone. But even if we lost top talent, we never had trouble employing fresh graduates who were eager to prove themselves and take advantage of our high pay rates.

The pandemic changed everything, though. With everyone forced to stay away from the office and our childcare centre, we had to put all our efforts into enabling staff to work from home. It was a 180-degree turnaround for us, as we had always tried to make the workplace as attractive a place as possible. Now, we were encouraging them to stay away. Many could not cope with the demands of child care on top of work and threatened to leave. Suddenly, we had to listen to our staff instead of calling the shots.

What they wanted was the flexibility to manage their private lives alongside their working lives. Instead of convenience, they wanted choice: the option to be able to choose child care, medical or sports facilities, rather than feeling obliged those at work, or even the option to care for children or elderly relatives themselves. What’s more, mental health care was also deemed as high a priority as general health care, something we had overlooked in the past. In no time at all, wellbeing and counselling initiatives have been put in place.

These changes have had a significant impact on our staffing. Now, instead of taking on the minimum number of employees required and working them to the bone, we have more people on the payroll than ever before, many working part-time or flexible hours. It means we can retain our experienced staff and that’s really beneficial.

I don’t think people want different things now compared to the days before the pandemic. I just think that in the past, we had been led to assume that dedicating our lives to work was the only option, and the perks that companies offered that attempted to keep people working happily for as long as possible reinforced that attitude. I think the pandemic gave people a chance to reflect on what really is important in life, and companies have had to change their practices at the risk of losing their best staff.

True or False

Before the pandemic, Trevex aimed to provide everything that staff needed.
Before the pandemic, Trevex’s benefits paid no attention to employees’ leisure time.
The writer somewhat agreed with the criticism of Trevex’s employee benefits policy before the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, staff often left Trevex despite its perks.
Before the pandemic, most people at Trevex worked more hours than they had to.
Trevex had to introduce some slight changes during the pandemic to avoid losing valuable staff members.
Trevex noticed it was essential to improve the mental healthcare they were offering before the pandemic.
The number of staff employed at Trevex has decreased since the pandemic.
The writer thinks people’s needs have changed since the pandemic.
According to the writer, the pandemic has changed people’s attitudes to the role of work in their lives.

English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5 Text 4

Read an article about people who are addicted to trading cryptocurrency, and for questions 1 to 6, choose the correct answer.

Crypto Addicts

Cryptocurrency trading has become very popular. By buying and selling different currencies, traders can make huge profits. However, trading addiction is becoming increasingly common. Here, addict Josh Johnson talks about his experience.

‘I heard about cryptocurrencies years ago when Bitcoin first came out, but I can’t say I was intrigued from the start. Even when cryptocurrencies were mentioned more and more in the news and on social media, I didn’t pay much attention. It wasn’t until my friends started trading that I got into it. Seeing them earning loads of money overnight by doing practically nothing made me want to get in on it too. I’d been trading for a while by the time the pandemic started, but that was when the trouble started.

‘It was crazy to begin with. My first investment quadrupled within a couple of weeks. I couldn’t believe it. It gave me a feeling of power, and I felt as if I could achieve anything. I poured more money in, and the same thing kept happening. Of course, it was all chance. I happened to put my money in before the currencies hit an all-time high. Then they plummeted. I was convinced they’d recover, so I kept pumping more money in. But what had worked before no longer did. I lost everything.

‘Since getting help, I’ve thought about how I got addicted. There was a point when I had over three hundred thousand pounds. If I’d quit then, I could have bought the house that I had my heart set on. But rather than the money itself, it was the drama that hooked me. And winning didn’t give me as big a thrill as losing. You would think I’d feel devastated when money disappeared, but instead, I’d feel a new sense of purpose and drive to prove myself once again.

‘Lots of people enjoy these highs and lows of trading without becoming addicts, so it’s hard to know when you’ve gone too far. Like with many addictions, crypto addicts become isolated and withdrawn and neglect their work. But I was off work and living by myself, so if those signs were there, they weren’t noticeable. For me, I missed the high when money ran out and I couldn’t trade, so I found it through drugs, and my sister found out. I’d been addicted to them in the past, and it got to the point of me lying and stealing from others. She didn’t want that to happen again, and she stepped in.

‘There’s a worrying, rising trend in cryptocurrency trading addiction. It’s not surprising really, given the irresponsible advertising techniques which companies have used. I’m glad authorities are cracking down on those. But it concerns me that the apps send you notifications when you make money, inviting you to share your good news with others. But when you lose, you get nothing. It gives you a false sense that you are doing well. I think there should be rules that don’t allow that.

‘Compared to traditional gambling, cryptocurrency trading is seen as socially acceptable. It’s something that smart but adventurous people do. And whereas a lot of gamblers play alone or against other people, trading is social. But this leads to a herd mentality, where people stop thinking things through for themselves. The companies make lots of information available to educate people about the risks of trading. It’s far easier, though, to act on a friend’s tip-off or hunch. All this means that people don’t realise that they are on a slippery slope until it’s gone too far.

Choose the best answer.

Josh started trading in cryptocurrencies…
a. when Bitcoin first came out.
b. after seeing it in the media.
c. influenced by his peers’ success
d. while working from home during the pandemic.
What was Josh’s experience while trading?
a. He immediately lost all the money he invested.
b. He made many small wins and slightly larger losses.
c. He made lots of money, lost it all and couldn’t regain it.
d. He recovered from big losses at first but later could not.
Josh says that he kept gambling because…
a. he wanted enough money to buy a house.
b. he enjoyed the excitement of winning money.
c. he didn’t want to confess that he’d lost money.
d. he enjoyed the feeling he got when he lost money.
For Josh, crypto currency trading became a problem when…
a. he stopped working and spending time with other people.
b. he started to sell drugs in order to fund his trading habit.
c. he returned to a different, former addiction.
d. he started telling lies and taking things from family remembers.
Josh would like to see a change in the way that…
a. cryptocurrencies are advertised.
b. trading apps communicate with traders.
c. trading apps encourage sharing among friends.
d. cryptocurrency companies are regulated.
Josh says that when people trade cryptocurrencies together in groups, …
a. they tend not to consider their decisions thoroughly.
b. they learn and share more information and make better choices.
c. they are given special tips by the trading companies.
d. they become more socially accepted by their peers.

You’ve done English Olympiad Year 11 Reading Test 5. Which text was: the most difficult, the most informative, the easiest, fun to read? Leave your comment.