A multi-racial city

More languages are spoken in London's schools than in any other city in the world, according to research published yesterday. At least 307 different languages are spoken by pupils, with nearly one in three children now from homes where English is not the mother tongue. Almost 125,000 children – whose families originate from the Indian subcontinent – speak Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi or Urdu, making these languages the most common after English. However, other languages are known by just a handful of children. There is Abe from the Ivory Coast, which is spoken by two pupils in South-East London, and Тоk Pisin, from the Pacific Islands, which is only spoken by one pupil. Other languages which are widely used include Turkish and Arabic, followed by English-based Creole, which originates in Jamaica. The study proves that London is the most multilingual city in the world, more so than New York. In fact, several schools in the capital have pupils who speak over 50 different languages among them!

Text 4

Read the story and choose the best title.

1. Going on holiday

2. A different way of doing things

3. The British cup of tea

Last year I went abroad for the first time – to Britain. In Brazil, when we think of Britain, we often think of pubs as typical places, so I decided to find one. It wasn't difficult! As I was walking along the street in Notting Hill, I found a traditional pub selling home-made food and traditional English beer. I went inside and sat down at a table. I waited for a few minutes, but nobody came to serve me. While I was waiting, I noticed that there wasn't any table service and people went to the bar themselves. I went and asked for a cup of tea. The barman filled a small pot with hot water, put a tea bag in it, and then put the pot and a cup on a tray, I asked for some milk and sugar and he pointed to a small table in a corner of the room. I picked up the tray, took it to my table, and then went to get the milk and sugar. Suddenly I heard the barman shouting "Excuse me, excuse me!" I turned to look at him, and he said "That's one pound fifty, please!" Then I understood that you have to pay when you get your drink. I felt really stupid, but I'll know what to do if I go there again.

Read the story again. Work with a partner and decide if the sentences are true or false. Find out and mark the sentence(s) for which there is no information in the text.

1. It was raining.

2. Monica has travelled in foreign countries a lot.

3. She went to the pub at lunchtime.

4. The first thing she did was sit down at a table.

5. She watched other people.

6. The barman gave her some milk and sugar.

7. In English pubs, you don't pay for your drinks when you leave.

Text 5

You are going to read part of a leaflet which describes a number of places to visit in a particular area of Britain. For questions 1–15, choose from the places A–H. The places may be chosen more than once and when more than one answer is required, these may be in any order.

1. Where can you see old methods of transport?

2. Where can visitors see animals or birds from other countries?

3. Which places provide somewhere for children to play?

4. Which two attractions are situated in the same village?

5. Where could you see exhibits related to farming?

6. Where would you go for sports or exercise?

7. Which three places provide possibilities for visitors to eat food they have brought themselves?

8. Which attractions are situated in buildings which once had specific uses?