A Town’s Plan to Reduce Festival Waste
About this practice test
A fictional local-news report explains how Millbridge plans to reduce waste at its festivals while keeping them enjoyable for visitors and useful for the community.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
2 questions with explanations to review after submission.
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
- B1. 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
- Cloze (dropdown)
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
A Town’s Plan to Reduce Festival Waste
Every August, the river town of Millbridge hosts a three-day festival with music, food stalls, and games. For years, the event left behind a mountain of rubbish: paper cups, plastic forks, food wrappers, and half-eaten snacks. After the last festival, the clean-up team filled 82 bags before noon, and several volunteers said the same thing—people were enjoying themselves, but the town was paying for it later. Some bins overflowed near the entrance, and gulls tore open bags before the evening was over. A local café owner said customers loved the atmosphere, but nobody liked stepping around trash on the way home. The council did not want to cancel the festival, because it brought visitors and money, but it did want a better way to handle waste. This spring, the council worked with shop owners, stall holders, and a youth group to design a new plan. Visitors will pay a small deposit for reusable cups and plates, then get the money back when they return them. Extra bins will be placed near the stage and food area, and signs will show where to sort rubbish. Stall holders have also agreed to use less packaging, and volunteers will walk around reminding people to keep the site tidy. The youth group will count how many cups come back each day, and the council will compare that with last year’s rubbish bill. The aim is not to make the festival stricter, but to make the clean-up smaller. The plan will be tested at this year’s summer event. Some residents think it will slow down the queues, yet others believe people will accept the change once they understand why it matters. Maya, who runs a juice stall, says she was doubtful at first because the cups would cost more to wash, but she now likes the idea because it may save her team time at the end of each day. If the trial works, the council hopes to use the same system at the winter market and the food fair. In Millbridge, the hope is simple: keep the festival lively while leaving less behind.
-
Question 1 · Cloze (dropdown)
Choose the correct option for each blank.
Complete the summary below. Choose the best option for each gap. Millbridge's festival produced a lot of waste, so the council created a plan with local groups. Visitors will 1___ a small deposit for reusable cups and plates and get the money back when they 2___. More bins and signs should help people 3___ rubbish, while stall holders will use 4___ packaging. A youth group will count returned cups so the council can compare the results with last year's rubbish 5___.
Return to the passage, recording or visualChoices for blank 1
- pay
- borrow
- cancel
- save
Choices for blank 2
- wash
- sell
- return
- repair
Choices for blank 3
- burn
- sort
- carry
- hide
Choices for blank 4
- fresh
- heavy
- more
- less
Choices for blank 5
- music
- bill
- weather
- rules
Check answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- pay
- Blank 2
- return
- Blank 3
- sort
- Blank 4
- less
- Blank 5
- bill
Gap 1: pay — visitors pay a deposit for reusable cups and plates. Gap 2: return — they get the money back when they return the items. Gap 3: sort — signs show where to sort rubbish. Gap 4: less — stall holders agree to use less packaging. Gap 5: bill — the council compares the results with last year’s rubbish bill.
Visitors will pay a small deposit for reusable cups and plates, then get the money back when they return them
signs will show where to sort rubbish
the council will compare that with last year’s rubbish bill
-
Question 2 · Cloze (dropdown)
Choose the correct option for each blank.
Complete the summary below. Choose the best option for each gap. At this year's summer festival, the new plan will be 1___. Some residents worry that it could slow down the 2___, but Maya thinks the change makes sense because it may save her team 3___ at the end of the day. If the trial is successful, the council hopes to use the same system at other events and keep the town 4___ while leaving less 5___ behind.
Return to the passage, recording or visualChoices for blank 1
- discussed
- tested
- forgotten
- planned
Choices for blank 2
- drinks
- lights
- posters
- queues
Choices for blank 3
- water
- space
- time
- money
Choices for blank 4
- crowded
- modern
- quiet
- lively
Choices for blank 5
- waste
- rain
- noise
- bottles
Check answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- tested
- Blank 2
- queues
- Blank 3
- time
- Blank 4
- lively
- Blank 5
- waste
Gap 1: tested — the plan will be tested at this year’s summer event. Gap 2: queues — some residents think the change could slow down the queues. Gap 3: time — Maya thinks it may save her team time at the end of each day. Gap 4: lively — the aim is to keep the festival lively. Gap 5: waste — the plan aims to leave less waste behind.
The plan will be tested at this year’s summer event
she now likes the idea because it may save her team time at the end of each day
keep the festival lively while leaving less behind
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
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
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
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.