HIPPO 2022

10th International English Language Olympiad

IESOL Assessment Reading

RQF Level: Entry 3
(CEFR Level: B1)

Candidate Booklet - Reading

HIPPO 4 - S10
Preliminary Round

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES:

 Do NOT turn over the page until instructed.

 This examination is made up of 3 TASKS.
 Answer all the questions.
 Remember to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.
 Use only black or blue PEN.
 Dictionaries are NOT allowed.

Time allowed: 40 minutes Total marks available: 34

Reading Task 1
Read the text and circle the best option to complete each gap – a, b, c, or d.

Humans and pets

We love 0)_____ pets, we really do. For many of us, they are our closest companions-
trusted, loyal, and just 1)_____ important as our children or members of the family. They are
also excellent listeners 2)_____ never have a bad word to say about us. Our pets are also
great at 3)_____ even the biggest secrets.

Research shows that, aside from 4)_____ certain diseases, pets are good for us. Pet owners
enjoy greater fitness, lower stress, and more happiness. Having a pet can lower blood
pressure, make us feel less lonely, and provide opportunities for more exercise and outdoor
activities. It can 5)_____ help us make new friends, for example during dog walks or training
sessions.

Cats, in particular, have always been seen as quite mysterious. Cats have lived close to
humans for a very long time, and they have never became fully domesticated. They are also
very different to dogs. Dogs are generally friendly, loving and patient, while cats are often
seen as always wanting to do their own thing. It’s difficult to say if this 6)_____ is actually
true or not.

There have been many studies of the relationship between humans and dogs. But our
7)_____ of the relationship between humans and cats is not as thorough. Recently, scientists
at the University of York interviewed over 150 cat owners. The aim of their study was to
8)_____ the personalities of the cats with the personalities of their owners. The study
showed that calm owners usually had calm cats, and that nervous owners 9)_____ had
nervous cats. Scientists still have one more question to answer. Is this because people like
to choose pets with similar personalities? Or is it because with time, animals 10)_____ similar
to their owners?

Example: a) our b) your c) their d) his

1. a) so b) as c) more d) how
2. a) why b) where c) when d) that
3. a) sharing b) making c) keeping d) giving
4. a) passing on b) passing by c) passing away d) passing out
5. a) even b) only c) fairly d) more
6. a) discussion b) agreement c) belief d) topic
7. a) memory b) understanding c) respect d) opinion
8. a) compare b) control c) suggest d) introduce
9. a) hopefully b) directly c) typically d) either
10. a) change b) remain c) continue d) become

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 Reading Task 2

Read the text and answer the questions below. Circle the correct option, a, b, c, or d.

Who Is Coco Gauff?

Para. 1 Cori "Coco" Gauff is a professional tennis player. She became well known after defeating
Venus Williams, one of the top female tennis players in the world, at Wimbledon. It
happened in 2019, when Coco was just 15 years old, and her picture appeared in
newspapers across the world. That year, Coco also won her first title in a competition for
single players. In 2021, she added a second singles title to her name and also played in the
quarterfinal of the French Open. Coco was added to the U.S. Olympic team in June 2021,
but was not able to participate GAP) _____ health issues.

Early Life and Family

Cori "Coco" Gauff was born on March 13, 2004, in Delray Beach, Florida, She was the first
Para. 2
child of her parents, who then went on to have two boys, Corie’s younger brothers. She was
named Cori after her father, Corey, and received his nickname of Coco as well. Gauff's
father played basketball at Georgia State University, and her mother, Candi, was a gymnast
at Florida State University. Her grandmother, Yvonne Odom, was the first black pupil in her
high school back in 1960s, GAP) _____ was a challenging experience. During her tennis
career, Coco has displayed the same strong character and confidence as her grandmother.

Para. 3 Coco spent her early years in Georgia. Her mother was a teacher, while her father worked in
the pharmaceuticals industry in a senior management role. To support Coco's tennis training
and career, her parents opted to leave their jobs and move back to Delray Beach, Florida.
Candi began to home-school her daughter, GAP) _____ Corey became his daughter's coach.

Early Tennis Career

Because Coco’s parents were athletes, they encouraged their children to take up a sport.
Para. 4 Coco began playing tennis at the age of 6. By the time she was 10, she had travelled to
France to work with Patrick Mouratoglou, who coaches Serena Williams, another top female
tennis player. Coco has GAP) _____ train with Mouratoglou, but her father remains her main
coach.

Coco’s father, Corey, believes that it can be a mistake to just concentrate on one sport. "Be
a well-rounded athlete — that's one thing we emphasized with Coco early on; she was into
gymnastics, soccer, basketball, and running. We wanted her to develop as a total athlete,
enjoy the experience and develop the skills."

Coco won her first national junior title in 2014, followed by some international wins the
following year.

Professional Tennis Career

In January 2019, Coco told friends and family her goal for the year was to become one of
the top 100 ranked players in the Women's Tennis Association. She was ranked 685 at the
time. In June 2019, a 15-year-old Coco managed to get a place in the Wimbledon

tournament in London. In the first round she played against Venus Williams. Williams was
not only a five-time champion at Wimbledon, but she and her sister Serena were Coco's
tennis idols. However, Coco won the competition.

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Coco made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019, the youngest player to do so since
1991. Her success drew so much attention it inspired the term "Cocomania." Soon
afterward, she lasted until the third round of the U.S. Open, again the youngest to
accomplish this since 1991.

In 2020, Coco shared in an interview that before her success at Wimbledon in 2019, she'd
experienced the pressure to do well fast. She also admitted that she had struggled with
depression for about a year. But things changed for the better after she realized that she
needed to have a more positive attitude towards herself and the tennis game. Coco
understood that she no longer needed to play to make other people happy. Coco ended the
interview with these words: "I came out of it stronger and knowing myself better than ever."

Example: This text is about

a) a tennis player.
b) a tennis match.
c) a tennis coach.
d) tennis equipment.

11. Coco Gauff became famous when she

a) won a game against Venus Williams.

b) lost a game against Venus Williams.
c) played in a team with Venus Williams.
d) was photographed with Venus Williams.

12. Coco won her first two singles titles

a) in the same year.

b) one year apart.
c) two years apart.
d) three years apart.

13. In the first paragraph, the best option to complete the gap is

a) thanks to
b) due to
c) despite
d) out of

14. Cori’s nickname, Coco, comes from

a) her mother.
b) her father.
c) her grandmother.
d) her brother.

15. In paragraph 2, the best option to complete the gap is:

a) who
b) that
c) which
d) when

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16. According to the article, Coco

a) is similar to her grandmother.

b) is different to her grandmother.
c) has the same bad qualities as her grandmother.
d) wants to be like her grandmother.

17. Which best describes Coco’s parents’ attitude to her career?

a) Only one of them believed in her success.

b) They both did everything they could to help.
c) They were both concerned about her becoming famous.
d) They both warned Coco about the risks.

18. In paragraph 3, the best option to complete the gap is

a) while
b) however
c) despite
d) because

19. In paragraph 4, the best option to complete the gap is

a) stopped to
b) tried to
c) continued to
d) expected to

20. What is Coco’s father opinion on what leads to success in sports?

a) You should focus on a single sport early on.

b) You should pick at least two sports to concentrate on.
c) You should experience many different sports.
d) You should pick a sport you enjoy the most.

21. Coco’s performance when she played Venus Williams in 2019 can be best described as

a) disappointing.
b) as expected.
c) spectacular.
d) reasonable.

22. What life lesson did Coco share with the public?

a) You need to reach out for support when you struggle.

b) Sometimes a change in thinking is enough to help.
c) Only focus on the positive experiences.
d) Some people are not strong enough to compete professionally.

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Reading Task 3
A) Read the three texts and answer the questions below by indicating which text each
question relates to: A, B, or C.

Text A, Charlie’s Restaurant

Charlie’s is one of the latest additions to the restaurant scene in Townbury. Designed for
families, the restaurant has two large play areas, one indoors and one outdoors. Both spaces
benefit from having a member of staff making sure everyone is safe. This means that
parents can simply sit back and relax, as well as have a good look at the menu and pick out
their favourite dishes
What the restaurant offers in terms of space and kids entertainment, GAP) ____, is not
matched by their menu. How many different main courses would you expect to choose
from when you treat yourself to dinner? Ten? OK, maybe eight is still acceptable right? Well,
Charlie’s offers three. That’s including the one vegetarian dish.
The waiting staff, however, are quick to point out that the chefs only use the freshest local
ingredients, and that the menu changes on weekly basis. Is that enough to convince me to
make Charlie’s one of my regular restaurants? Only on the days I cannot get a child minder!

Text B, Maria’s Restaurant

We visited Maria’s restaurant last week to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday. Gran really
enjoyed a selection of international dishes, some of which she hadn’t tried before.
Our waiter was really keen to make our visit a special experience. He brought us some
bread and olive oil at the beginning of the meal, and didn’t charge us for it. But it took
almost an hour before the main dishes arrived at the table. I think they just needed a few
more people working in the kitchen that day.
I must say that the dining area is quite small and the tables were really close together. We
GAP) ___ hear each other because of other people’s loud conversations, and there were kids
running around the tables, which was annoying. But I guess a limited dining space is the
price you pay if you want to eat in the centre, next to all the other entertainment the city
has to offer.

TEXT C, Black’s Restaurant

My work colleague recommended this restaurant, hidden away in a small village near my
city. He said that it served some of the best food he had ever had. I finally managed to book
a table there last week, and I must admit, none of the dishes disappointed! In fact, the main
course was unbelievable.
It's a shame, however, that the people who work there don’t seem to be very interested in
the guests. Our waiter was checking his phone when he was taking our order! When I
pointed it out, he didn’t even apologise. That’s when I decided that I wouldn’t be leaving a
tip.
When the bill arrived, I first thought someone had made a mistake. It seemed impossible for
two people to have eaten food worth over two hundred pounds. But when I checked it, it
GAP) ___ to be accurate, so I just paid up. I don’t think I’ll be going back there soon!

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 Which text does the following?

Example Describes a restaurant located in Townbury. A

23. States that the prices are too high. ________

24. Recommends the restaurant to families with kids. ________

25. Includes a complaint about staff attitude. ________

26. Includes praise for the restaurant serving a wide variety of

food. ________

27. Says that the restaurant offers a limited menu. ________

28. Mentions that the restaurant is in a good location. ________

29. Suggests that the restaurant doesn’t have enough staff. ________

30. Is the most positive about the quality of the food. ________

B) Now answer the following questions by circling the correct option.

31. In Text A, the best option to complete the gap is

a) finally
b) however
c) despite this
d) besides

32. In Text A, the best option to replace the word ‘acceptable’ is

a) essential
b) regular
c) natural
d) reasonable

33. In Text B, the best option to complete the gap is

a) struggled to
b) attempted to
c) continued to
d) intended to

34. In Text C, the best option to complete the gap is

a) turned up
b) turned down
c) turned out
d) turned in

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