Tell us about your favourite spooky spot in the UK

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happens immediately after the winning tip is selected?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The author is invited to lead a ghost tour
   2. The author receives a £200 Coolstays voucher
   3. The recommendation is expanded into a full travel guide
   4. The author chooses the next week's judging panel
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The author receives a £200 Coolstays voucher

   Its author receives the stated voucher before publication details are discussed.

   Its author will receive the £200 Coolstays voucher.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which experience is presented as a possible example of a self-guided activity?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Exploring a route independently at an unhurried pace
   2. Visiting a castle during an organised evening event
   3. Joining a professional tour of worldwide properties
   4. Attending a seasonal ceremony in a historic building
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Exploring a route independently at an unhurried pace

   The recording specifically contrasts a self-guided route with a guided city walk.

   A reader may have joined a guided ghost walk through a city, for example, or followed a self-guided route at a more leisurely pace.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why might a recommendation include details about a tour's organisation?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To prove that the destination is internationally famous
   2. To explain one factor that may have made the experience memorable
   3. To establish that independent travel is discouraged
   4. To demonstrate that the tour qualifies for the prize
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain one factor that may have made the experience memorable

   Organisation is one possible reason an experience stands out to visitors.

   Contributors are encouraged to explain what made a location or activity particularly memorable, whether that was the setting, the route, the organisation of a tour, or the feeling created by exploring an old site at twilight.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the feature enable readers to do with an autumn excursion?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Convert it into guidance for prospective visitors
   2. Transform it into a commercially operated attraction
   3. Use it to challenge Lonely Planet's judging decision
   4. Submit it as evidence of a site's supernatural activity
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Convert it into guidance for prospective visitors

   The closing paragraph presents the excursion as advice that can assist others.

   The feature offers readers a chance to turn a memorable autumn excursion into advice for others, while gathering ideas for people interested in ghost walks, historic buildings and atmospheric ruins.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What limitation does the recording place on the requested recommendations?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Only accommodation-based experiences may be submitted
   2. Recommendations must focus specifically on experiences in the UK
   3. Readers may recommend only places owned by Coolstays
   4. Submissions are limited to destinations with documented hauntings
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Recommendations must focus specifically on experiences in the UK

   Although Coolstays operates worldwide, submissions must concern UK experiences.

   Coolstays is described as having more than 3,000 properties worldwide, although the requested recommendations are specifically about experiences in the UK.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which combination best captures the kinds of interests the feature brings together?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Luxury, competition, and international business travel
   2. Local history, imaginative storytelling, and mystery
   3. Architecture, nightlife, and professional tour management
   4. Scientific research, conservation, and historical documentation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Local history, imaginative storytelling, and mystery

   The final sentence explicitly combines history, storytelling, and mystery.

   It also reflects the enduring appeal of travel that combines local history, imaginative storytelling and a sense of mystery.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Who will judge the submitted recommendations?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The Guardian's website readership
   2. A committee of Coolstays property owners
   3. Tom Hall of Lonely Planet
   4. The authors of previously published submissions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Tom Hall of Lonely Planet

   The recording identifies Tom Hall of Lonely Planet as the selector.

   Tom Hall of Lonely Planet will select the best tip of the week.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.