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Our school newspaper
by Michael Williams
Some years ago, our head teacher, Mrs Waters, decided to start a school newspaper, and get as
many students as possible to take on the job of producing it – and parents, too. She felt the
newspaper would help them learn more about school life, through articles on things like sports
achievements and arts projects, which not all students know about if they’re not taking part.
Students took the whole thing very seriously – and we now have a prize-winning newspaper!
Some of my friends joined the newspaper team immediately and enjoyed it. I’d always loved
creative writing and drawing cartoons, which I thought would be perfect in the newspaper, so I
signed up. My dad, who’s a journalist, was pleased – he thought that even though I wasn’t keen
on a job like his, the newspaper would be a great opportunity for me. And he was right – I loved
it! Dad often came along to give advice, which was popular with the students. It was difficult
sometimes, if he was busy, but he learned a lot about the school that way.
My first job was writing a report about a sports event – a writing style I’d never attempted
before. But Dad reminded me it was similar in some ways to writing a story – getting
information in the right order. Once I’d understood that, there was no stopping me – and after
my first efforts, I developed quite a professional style, which was brilliant. Sometimes the team
couldn’t use what I’d written, or my cartoons, for whatever reason, but I didn’t mind. And
sometimes it was hard to finish stuff on time, but I usually got there.
I’m now one of the editors – we decide what goes into the newspaper, so our names no longer
appear in print. And it’s stressful sometimes as we don’t have much time, but we try to manage
that properly. We also correct mistakes in people’s articles, which we all had to get used to, but
we were soon doing it without thinking – and in our own schoolwork, too. I still put off calling
people outside school for comments on stuff, but I guess it’s all good experience – at least,
that’s what Dad says!
1 Michael’s head teacher wanted to start a student newspaper to

A provide an activity for students not interested in sport or art.
B make students feel more confident about taking part in something.
C keep students better informed about what was happening at school.
D give students the experience of being responsible for something.
2 Michael decided to join the newspaper because

A he had ideas about some work he could do for it.
B he was considering a career in journalism.
C his friends had encouraged him to do so.
D he liked the idea of being part of a team.
3 When Michael first started working on the newspaper, he was
A disappointed when his stories sometimes weren’t used.
B delighted at the way his writing skills improved.
C pleased to find he could make use of his art skills.
D worried he’d be late completing some of his writing.
4 What does Michael say about his role on the newspaper now?
A He feels uncomfortable about correcting other students’ work.
B He still needs to improve the way he manages his time.
C He’s happier to handle making telephone calls to others.
D He’s become better at making articles more accurate.
5 What would Michael’s dad say about the newspaper?

A I was surprised at how keen Michael was to get involved – he’s never shown that much
interest in writing before.
B I occasionally had problems finding the time to help out at Michael’s school, but the
students really seemed to like my suggestions.
C Michael would never admit it, but I know he’s proud to see his name in the newspaper
these days – and I am, too!
D It’s been great to finally find out about life at the school through reading the newspaper. I
didn’t really know much about it before.
Five sentences have been removed from the text below. For each question, choose the correct
answer. There are three extra sentences which you do not need to use.
Lost Luggage
Two years ago, I went on holiday to Rome with my family. It was a four-hour train journey from
our home, and we all helped to plan the trip. We were looking forward to seeing the famous
sights! Everything went really well and we had a great time visiting the amazing tourist
attractions. I was in charge of taking all the photos with my band new phone, which had an
excellent camera. We stayed in Rome for two weeks, and it was really incredible.
On the train journey back home, I decided to open my backpack, but I couldn’t find it. (1)………. I
was very upset because I’d packed my phone in that backpack, along with my travel journal. (2)
………. Weeks passed, and then months. At first, I contacted the train company every week, but
after some time, it was clear that my backpack was never going to be found. After a while, I
forgot all about it.
Last month, I took the train to Florence on a school trip. Incredibly, my backpack went missing
again! (3)………. After Rome, I always kept my phone and other important items in my pockets.
Two weeks after the Florence trip, I received a phone call from the train company. They told me
they had my backpack, and they would send it to my local station. I assumed it was my
backpack from the school trip. (4)………. Someone from the train company had found the
backpack from Rome in a dusty old storeroom! Everything inside it was safe, and I finally got to
share the photos with my family. (5)………. I decided we should all go back to Rome for another
holiday … but this time, I would be much more careful with my things!
A I never travelled with the same train company again.

B When I arrived at the station, I couldn’t believe my eyes!
C All my memories of Rome were in that backpack.
D I couldn’t leave the station without my bag.
E It was so wonderful to see them.
F I knew I would never see my new phone again.
G I searched and searched, but it was nowhere to be seen!
H But, this time, there were no precious memories inside.
Why The Sea is Good for You
We all love spending time by the sea. The lucky ones might live on the coast and enjoy the
benefits throughout the year. (1)……….. Most of us would say we feel healthier by the ocean. In
the past, doctors would actually recommend spending time by the sea to their patients. And
research has shown that people who live on the coast are more likely to believe their health is
good compared to those living in a city. So how do we benefit, exactly?
Well, to start with it’s great for our mental health. (2)……….. They have shown that watching,
listening to or being in the ocean helps our brains slow down. The sound of the waves can help
us relax and has a positive effect in reducing feelings of stress. This is why people who have
trouble sleeping are often told to listen to recordings of the sound of waves hitting the shore to
help them relax at bedtime.
(3)……….. We go out a lot more when we’re on holiday by the sea. We often become more
active on holidays and people who live on the coast are usually more active too. And if you take
your walks on the beach this is even better. (4)……….. The sea air is also good for people with
breathing problems. There is less pollution in the air near the ocean and in the autumn and
winter the air is fresher. (5)……….. It has even been found that the chemicals found in sea water
are the same chemicals that help us have healthy skin.
No wonder then that we often feel so much better at the end of a seaside holiday and why we
look forward so much to booking our next one!
A Being by the sea is also good for our physical health.

B This is healthier than the dry atmosphere in homes with central heating.
C It’s not just swimmers who know how to do this.
D The rest of us have to wait for our next holiday.
E However, in the end you’ll notice the difference.
F Walking on sand requires more effort than on the pavement.
G Scientists have discovered that we have something called a ‘blue mind’.
H So scientists disagree about the reasons for doing this.
Lost in the mountains

When you’re a mountain rescue volunteer, you never know when you’re going to be called to
work. We go out in all weather, and at any time of the day or night. If someone is in danger,
there’s no time to lose. On New Year’s Day last year, I was sitting down to breakfast with my
family. (1)……….. Two hikers had decided to celebrate the new year by walking along a mountain
ridge in Country Kerry, Ireland, just a few miles from my home. They were staying in a small
guest house, and had set off early on New Year’s Eve. When they didn’t return by the following
morning, their host because worried and called the police. (2)………..
I was just one of 12 volunteers who left our breakfast tables and set out to look for the missing
hikers. We pushed through strong winds and thick cloud, calling and listening over and over
again. (3)……….. It was too cold to survive for long out on the mountains, and the hikers had
been missing for a whole day and night. (4)……….. I shouted out, and was relieved to hear a
voice about back. (5)……….. They were so happy to see us. They explained that they’d got lost,
and the winds had been too strong for them to keep walking. Luckily, they had warm clothes,
food and the tent.
We led them back down the mountain and returned them to their guest house, where a
delicious hot meal was waiting for them and for the rescue volunteer team. They said that
they’ll never forget that New Year’s Day when they were rescued by local people who became
heroes.
A The police called Kerry Mountain Rescue Team.

B The hikers were huddled together in a small tent between two large rocks.
C They said it’s extremely dangerous to go hiking in bad weather.
D Nobody answered back so we began to lose hope.
E We didn’t know they had already found their way home.
F Suddenly, I heard the sound of a whistle.
G We were just about to start eating when my phone rang.
H After searching all night, we gave up and went back home.

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Our school newspaper

1 Michael’s head teacher wanted to start a student newspaper to

2 Michael decided to join the newspaper because

5 What would Michael’s dad say about the newspaper?

A I never travelled with the same train company again.

Why The Sea is Good for You

A Being by the sea is also good for our physical health.

Lost in the mountains

A The police called Kerry Mountain Rescue Team.

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