B1 Preliminary reading practice

From 1 June, the café will close at 5 pm on weekdays. Hot drinks will still be available from the machine in the entrance hall until the centre closes.

Mia – Jack here. Just got to the station and the 6.15 to Kelbridge is cancelled. Next one's at 7, so I'll miss the start of the show. Can you go in without me and leave my ticket at the door? I'll text when I'm there.

Keep in the fridge and eat within three days of opening. Not suitable for freezing. Best before: see lid.

Students who wish to move to a different class must speak to their teacher before Friday. Class changes cannot be made at the main office.

Children's bike, blue, for ages 6–9. Hardly used – my son grew too quickly! £40, but I'm happy to accept a lower offer. Ask for Pete at Flat 4, Orchard House.

Eight classes that start next month.

• A
  Photography for Beginners
  Tuesday evenings, 7–9 pm, for ten weeks. Bring your own camera or just use your phone. Learn how to take better pictures of people and places. In the final week, your best photos will go on show in the college library.
• B
  Italian for Travellers
  Saturday mornings for six weeks. Learn useful phrases for restaurants, hotels and public transport. Ideal for complete beginners, and there's no homework.
• C
  Garden Design
  Wednesday evenings for eight weeks. Find out how to plan a garden and which plants grow well in small spaces. The course ends with a Saturday visit to the famous gardens at Fernley Hall.
• D
  Cooking on a Budget
  Monday evenings for five weeks. Make tasty, healthy meals that cost less than £2 a portion. Perfect for students and people who live alone. Take home everything you cook. Ingredients are included in the price.
• E
  Creative Writing
  Thursday evenings for ten weeks. Write short stories and poems and share your work with the group. Your tutor is a published novelist. Expect a little homework every week.
• F
  Spanish Conversation
  Friday evenings for twelve weeks. For people who have studied Spanish for at least a year and want to practise speaking. Each week we discuss films, music and the latest news.
• G
  Furniture Repair
  Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm, for four weeks. Bring an old chair or small table and learn how to repair and paint it. We provide all the tools you need.
• H
  Digital Skills for Work
  Weekday mornings for three weeks. Spreadsheets, emails and video calls. Everyone who completes the course gets a certificate to show employers. Free for people who are looking for work.

Last spring, my old car finally broke down for good. The mechanic told me that repairing it would cost more than the car was worth, so I had a choice: buy another one or try living without. I decided to give myself a year without a car, mainly to save money, although I secretly expected to give up after a month.

The first few weeks were harder than I had imagined. I live in a village eight kilometres from the town where I work, and the bus only runs once an hour. On my first Monday I missed it by thirty seconds and arrived at work soaking wet after walking in the rain. My colleagues thought it was very funny. I didn't.

Things improved when I bought a second-hand electric bike. Suddenly the hill on the way to town wasn't a problem, and the journey took me twenty-five minutes, only ten minutes more than driving. I started to notice things I had never seen from the car: the farmer who waves every morning, the river that changes colour with the seasons. I also began to feel much fitter, which was a pleasant surprise.

Of course, there were difficulties. Doing a big shop at the supermarket became a real problem, so now I order food online and have it delivered. Visiting my parents, who live two hundred kilometres away, means a long train journey with two changes. And when my daughter needed to get to a football match at eight o'clock on a Sunday morning, I had to ask another parent for a lift, which I found quite embarrassing.

The year ended three months ago, and I still haven't bought a car. I'm not going to tell anyone that they should get rid of theirs; for many people, especially those with young children or jobs at night, a car is simply necessary. But I would say this: try leaving it at home for a week. You may find that you need it less than you think.

Jenna Fowler

When Daniela Moss moved to the small seaside town of Porthallow three years ago, she had no plans to swim in the sea in the middle of winter. "I'd always thought people who did that were a bit crazy," she laughs. (1)gap 1

It all began one September, when the water was still quite warm. Daniela was walking on the beach early one morning when she saw a group of women coming out of the sea, laughing and chatting. (2)gap 2 "They told me they met every day at seven, whatever the weather, and that I was welcome to join them."

The next morning, she did. "The first time was a shock, even though it was only autumn," she says. "I stayed in for about two minutes." (3)gap 3 Slowly, as the weather got colder, she was able to stay in longer, and by December she was swimming for ten minutes at a time.

Daniela believes the cold water has changed her life. She sleeps better, rarely catches colds and feels calmer at work. (4)gap 4 "Some mornings it's the only time I really talk to anyone before I start work," she explains. "We look after each other."

She is careful to point out that cold-water swimming can be dangerous for people who are not prepared. (5)gap 5 Most importantly, she never swims alone. "The sea is beautiful, but you have to respect it," she says.

For more than sixty years, the Starlight Cinema has been at the heart of the village of Elmbury. When the owner decided to retire two years ago, many people were afraid it would (1)gap 1 for ever. But a group of local residents refused to (2)gap 2 up. They organised concerts and cake sales and managed to (3)gap 3 enough money to buy the building.

Today the cinema is run entirely by volunteers, who sell tickets, make popcorn and even (4)gap 4 the films they show. The programme is a (5)gap 5 of new films and old classics, and on the first Sunday of every month there is a free afternoon show for older people. "It isn't just a cinema," says volunteer Ruth Ellis. "It's a place where people can (6)gap 6 their neighbours."

Hi Lucy,

Thanks (1)gap 1 your message! I'm sorry I haven't written for so long. I've been really busy (2)gap 2 I started my new job in March. It's at a travel company, and I spend most of the day answering emails from customers (3)gap 3 want to change their bookings. It's hard work, but the people I work with are lovely.

Last weekend I went camping in the mountains with two of them. It rained (4)gap 4 much that our tent nearly blew away! We spent most of the night in the car, laughing. It was (5)gap 5 of the funniest nights of my life.

Anyway, I'm coming to your town next month for a conference. Would you like to meet (6)gap 6 dinner one evening?

Love,
Ana