Part 5 Reading
This is the first of the reading exercises in the Cambridge B2 reading exam. As you know both the reading and the use of English are combined in one exam. On this page we will talk about what you need to know about this Cambridge B2 Part 5 reading exercise.
What do I have to do in this reading exercise?
Part 5 is a text, often an extract from a novel or an article with six multiple choice comprehension questions. Each correct answer is worth 2 marks.
Question types can include
- A comprehension question about a specific paragraph
- The meaning of specific words in context
- An opinion of what the writer wishes to say
Part 5 (Extract)
You are going to read an article about indoor climbing. For questions 31 – 36, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
INDOOR CLIMBING – A DAY OUT
Five years ago I discovered rock climbing. To be specific, I discovered ‘indoor climbing’ with a group of work colleagues. It was one of those team building events where we were taken to do challenging things in the hope that we would become a ‘high performance team’.
Whether that ever happened is still questionable, but I fell in love with climbing immediately. As a kid growing up in the countryside I was rarely not climbing something — trees, walls, agricultural machines — but never rocks. While the coast near me has its share of rock, it’s primarily chalk; a rock that doesn’t lend itself to relaxed climbing.
…
Example Questions
31. In the first paragraph what was the main purpose of their visit to the indoor climbing wall centre?
A. The company he worked for sent them.
B. The writer had arranged the day out for his colleagues.
C. The company had suggested it was a good activity to help people get fitter
D. The writer and his colleagues had requested the day out.
32. In the second paragraph what does the expression lend itself to mean?
A. agree to
B. easy to use for
C. provide an opportunity for
D. create
How to do the Part 5 task
Step 1
- Read the instructions, title and subtitle, if there is one
Step 2
- Read the text quickly – no more than 1-2 minutes to get a general idea of what is in the text. This will help you to answer the questions. You can also learn how the text is organised and where to look for answers.
Step 3
- Highlight key information in the text and in the questions. Not all words are important in order to understand the text or find the answers.
TEXT
Five years ago I discovered rock climbing. To be specific, I discovered ‘indoor climbing’ with a group of work colleagues. It was one of those team building events where we were taken to do challenging things in the hope that we would become a ‘high performance team’.
QUESTION
31. In the first paragraph what was the main purpose of their visit to the indoor climbing wall centre?
A. The company he worked for sent them.
B. The writer had arranged the day out for his colleagues.
C. The company had suggested it was a good activity to help people get fitter
D. The writer and his colleagues had requested the day out.
Step 4
- Review the question and decide which answer may be right according to the text.
31. In the first paragraph what was the main purpose of their visit to the indoor climbing wall centre?
A. This is correct. It was a team building exercise where they were taken to do challenging things
B. No information about this in the paragraph
C. There is no reference to fitness in the paragraph
D. There is no detail in the paragraph about what they wanted.
Exam Tips for Part 5 Reading
Be careful with your time
You should spend 40-45 minutes on the reading so that is about 15 minutes for each reading exercise. Part 5 may take longer so it is important to manage the time for other parts.
Choosing answers
When you are trying to decide which answer is correct always remember you need to find information in the text which makes it correct. If you can’t find any details in the text it is quite possible your choice is not correct.
If you’ve chosen the paper exam it can sometimes be useful to make a note on the text where you found the answer. So, for example the answer to question 31 is the second line of the text.