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English Seaside Resorts

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English seaside resortsEnglish Seaside Resorts for the B2 First Reading Part 7 at an upper intermediate level of English which focuses on reading for detail and understanding the main idea.

About 10 minutesStrengthening reading comprehensionCambridge English B2 First Exam

B2 First Reading Part 7 (English Seaside Resorts)

This text for the B2 First Reading Part 7 describes four English seaside resorts. Read the article, then answer the following questions.

BrightonBournemouthTorquayHastings

Brighton lies on the slope of a hill, in the middle of a broad and shallow bay with a pebble beach and some sand at low tide. Its chief attractions are its clear and bracing air, the fine expanse of sea, bordered by white chalk-cliffs, and the crowds of visitors, because it is a very popular place. There are a large number of old and interesting buildings in the town, in particular the Royal Pavilion, built in an Oriental style by the famous architect, John Nash, for the Prince Regent. In the summer, there is horse racing at the town race course, immortalized in Graham Greene’s novel, Brighton Rock, and Brighton is well-known for its numerous public houses. Finally, there is an interesting aquarium near the Palace Pier. On the landward side of the town, the South Downs provide many interesting walks and viewpoints.

Bournemouth stands on two small hills in the sheltered valley of the Bourne river, the banks of which are laid out as public gardens. It is well-known as a healthy, attractive and modern resort, surrounded by gardens and pine forests, which are popular all year round. There are excellent and extensive sandy beaches for bathing, and a long line of picturesque cliffs, along with other very interesting things to see, such as the town art gallery and museum, and the East Cliff rock garden which attracts many geologists because it contains a large collection of British geological specimens.The town has literary connections, with Thomas Hardy and R. L. Stevenson, and Mary, the second wife of the poet, Shelley, is buried in St Peter’s churchyard. Finally, walkers and ramblers can enjoy pleasant walks along the coast in both directions.

Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, about 29 km south of the county town of Exeter and 45 km east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay. The place dates back to pre-historic times, and there are numerous archaeological remains. It is a well-known resort and spa, with excellent bathing on a sand and pebble beach, and because of its reputation for having a mild climate, it is a popular place for people with delicate chests and pulmonary problems. There is sub-tropical vegetation, palm trees and the like, growing in the public gardens, and visitors can enjoy picturesque cliff walks, but the town is best seen from a boat in the bay. In fact, Torquay is an important yachting station and an annual regatta is held there in August or September.

Hastings is famous for the Battle of Hastings, 1066, in which the Normans defeated the Saxons and took over the country. One of the most interesting historical monuments in Britain, Battle Abbey, is near Hastings, and it was founded by William the Conqueror, after his victory over the English, led by Harold. The Abbey stands on the exact spot where the English king fell, and there are many old buildings, including the remains of a Norman castle, which is open to the public. The seafront, which is about three miles long with a fine esplanade, is striking. The beach is pebble with sand at low tide, and the town is active only in summer. Along the seafront there are row upon row of cheap bed and breakfast hotels, and finally there are cliffs to the east, which provide walks to the well-known beauty spots of Fairlight and Ecclesbourne Glens.

Full text about English seaside resorts.

English Seaside Resorts

Brighton
Brighton lies on the slope of a hill, in the middle of a broad and shallow bay with a pebble beach and some sand at low tide. Its chief attractions are its clear and bracing air, the fine expanse of sea, bordered by white chalk-cliffs, and the crowds of visitors, because it is a very popular place. There are a large number of old and interesting buildings in the town, in particular the Royal Pavilion, built in an Oriental style by the famous architect, John Nash, for the Prince Regent. In the summer, there is horse racing at the town race course, immortalized in Graham Greene’s novel, Brighton Rock, and Brighton is well-known for its numerous public houses. Finally, there is an interesting aquarium near the Palace Pier. On the landward side of the town, the South Downs provide many interesting walks and viewpoints.

Bournemouth
Bournemouth stands on two small hills in the sheltered valley of the Bourne river, the banks of which are laid out as public gardens. It is well-known as a healthy, attractive and modern resort, surrounded by gardens and pine forests, which are popular all year round. There are excellent and extensive sandy beaches for bathing, and a long line of picturesque cliffs, along with other very interesting things to see, such as the town art gallery and museum, and the East Cliff rock garden which attracts many geologists because it contains a large collection of British geological specimens.The town has literary connections, with Thomas Hardy and R. L. Stevenson, and Mary, the second wife of the poet, Shelley, is buried in St Peter’s churchyard. Finally, walkers and ramblers can enjoy pleasant walks along the coast in both directions.

Torquay
Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, about 29 km south of the county town of Exeter and 45 km east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay. The place dates back to pre-historic times, and there are numerous archaeological remains. It is a well-known resort and spa, with excellent bathing on a sand and pebble beach, and because of its reputation for having a mild climate, it is a popular place for people with delicate chests and pulmonary problems. There is sub-tropical vegetation, palm trees and the like, growing in the public gardens, and visitors can enjoy picturesque cliff walks, but the town is best seen from a boat in the bay. In fact, Torquay is an important yachting station and an annual regatta is held there in August or September.

Hastings
Hastings is famous for the Battle of Hastings, 1066, in which the Normans defeated the Saxons and took over the country. One of the most interesting historical monuments in Britain, Battle Abbey, is near Hastings, and it was founded by William the Conqueror, after his victory over the English, led by Harold. The Abbey stands on the exact spot where the English king fell, and there are many old buildings, including the remains of a Norman castle, which is open to the public. The seafront, which is about three miles long with a fine esplanade, is striking. The beach is pebble with sand at low tide, and the town is active only in summer. Along the seafront there are row upon row of cheap bed and breakfast hotels, and finally there are cliffs to the east, which provide walks to the well-known beauty spots of Fairlight and Ecclesbourne Glens.

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Extra Free Exercises for B2 First Reading Part 7.

B2 First Reading Part 5B2 First Use of English and Reading Section

You need to be able to understand a range of texts, including how they are organised and the opinions and attitudes expressed in them. The texts will be from sources familiar to you such as magazines, articles, fiction and advertisements, but targeted at the interests of students. Students’ use of English will be tested by tasks which show how well they can control their grammar and vocabulary.

For this part, you practice how to understand the details of a text, including opinions and attitudes.

For this part, you practice how to understand the structure and follow the development of a text.

For this part, you practice how to find specific information in a text or texts.

B2 First Writing Section

You are required to produce two pieces of writing. The first piece is compulsory and will be an essay of 140-190 words. For the second, you can choose from an article, email/letter, essay, review or report (B2 First for schools the report is replaced with a story) of 140-190 words.

B2 First Listening and Speaking Section

Requires being able to follow and understand a range of familiar spoken materials, such as news programmes, public announcements and other sources, but targeted at the interests of the learners.

In this part you talk to the examiner about yourself and your life, e.g. your name, school, interests and future plans.

In this part, you talk about two photos on your own which you have to compare for about 1 minute. After you have finished, your partner will be asked a short question about your photo. When your partner has spoken about their photos for about 1 minute, you will be asked a question about their photos.

In this part you express ideas with your partner by looking at a discussion point that the examiner gives you.

This will be available soon.

In this part, you focus on general aspects of a topic with the examiner or you may involve your partner.

This will be available soon.

In this part, you will hear people talking in eight different situations.

In this part, you will hear five people talking about different things.

In this part, you will hear an interview.

Especially helpful are exercises that are focussed on a theme or topic as these provide word retention practise so you can be confident to read, write, speak and listen successfully. We have many activities to get your English up to speed in no time.

Customs and Traditions explores how we celebrate our cultural identity across the globe.

Entertainment and Leisure explores how we spent our free time.

Environment and Nature explores the way humans and animals live, adapt and change on our planet.

Exploring how different societies create roles for people to develop their skills and knowledge.

Exploring how we learn and adjust to the world around us. .

Exploring how we experience the world through our life journeys

The more words you encounter and understand, the broader your day-to-day vocabulary will become. Our word games and puzzles such as our films word search are an excellent way to help to reinforce spellings in your mind.
Level Links:
This free material is for students at an Upper Intermediate Level of English. This will probably be suitable for students in their third or fourth year of English studies. We add exercises on grammar and vocabulary as well as whole text activities on a regular basis. In addition, we provide test practice activity for students who are preparing for the C1 Advanced which is part of the Cambridge Assessment English Main Suite as well as the English Language B for the IB Diploma. The material will also support students studying for the Cambridge Advanced courses and IELTS examinations.

We also provide free resources across the full range of levels to provide the tools to communicate in English well.

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