91-Year-Old Hiker Becomes Oldest Person to Complete Appalachian Trail

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

B2. 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 passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the main purpose of the article?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To explain how Sanders trained for the hike
   2. To present a record achievement using verified information
   3. To compare several Appalachian Trail routes
   4. To criticize reporting about older hikers
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To present a record achievement using verified information

   It presents a record achievement while carefully limiting unsupported details.

   At the same time, the available coverage supports a limited account.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article emphasize Sanders’s age?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It explains the story’s significance
   2. It describes his hiking schedule
   3. It proves he needed special equipment
   4. It introduces the report’s presenter
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It explains the story’s significance

   His age explains both the public attention and the record’s significance.

   It is the reason this completion has drawn attention and why Sanders is being recognized as the oldest person to accomplish it.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “the man behind the nickname” suggest?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Sanders’s private family history
   2. The person represented by “Grey Beard”
   3. Another hiker with a similar nickname
   4. The journalist who created the nickname
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The person represented by “Grey Beard”

   The phrase shifts attention from the label toward Sanders himself.

   The report is presented by Amna Nawaz, who focuses on the achievement and on the man behind the nickname.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organized?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Chronologically, from childhood to retirement
   2. By comparing two competing hiking records
   3. From achievement to significance and limitations
   4. By describing preparation before announcing results
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From achievement to significance and limitations

   It introduces the record, broadens its meaning, then states reporting limitations.

   The story also invites a broader reflection on how people understand age and possibility.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can readers infer about the report’s tone?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Enthusiastic and speculative
   2. Negative and dismissive
   3. Celebratory but evidence-conscious
   4. Humorous and informal
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Celebratory but evidence-conscious

   The language is positive but remains cautious about what is unknown.

   Those details should not be added to the story.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “the process” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The process of preparing the report
   2. The process of choosing a nickname
   3. The process of completing the trail and setting a record
   4. The process of verifying weather conditions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The process of completing the trail and setting a record

   It refers to completing the trail and setting the age-related record.

   Sanders’s accomplishment does not need an exaggerated lesson to be notable.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which detail is explicitly included in the coverage?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. His daily hiking distance
   2. His route experience
   3. His preparation schedule
   4. His nickname
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   His nickname

   The article directly confirms Sanders’s age, role, completion, record, and nickname.

   It confirms Sanders’s age, his role as a hiker, his completion of the entire Appalachian Trail, the record he achieved, and the nickname “Grey Beard.”

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.