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 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 article's primary purpose?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To compare Britain's most commercially successful haunted attractions
   2. To explain a seasonal travel feature seeking vivid reader recommendations
   3. To announce a permanent expansion of the Guardian's Travel section
   4. To review several ghost tours selected by Lonely Planet
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain a seasonal travel feature seeking vivid reader recommendations

   It explains a reader-submission feature and the qualities sought in recommendations.

   The Guardian is inviting readers to share their favourite spooky places and experiences in the United Kingdom for a Halloween-themed travel feature.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about famous destinations from the third paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They are automatically preferred by the feature's editors
   2. They are excluded unless accompanied by historical evidence
   3. They may be suitable, but fame alone is insufficient
   4. They must offer guided tours rather than independent exploration
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They may be suitable, but fame alone is insufficient

   Fame is explicitly secondary to the contributor's individual experience.

   The request is not limited to famous destinations.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the fourth paragraph, what does “This approach” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Focusing on personal experiences rather than destination fame
   2. Offering a voucher for a stay at a worldwide property
   3. Publishing submissions in both print and digital formats
   4. Including only guided tours through historic locations
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Focusing on personal experiences rather than destination fame

   It refers to prioritising individual experiences and their memorable qualities.

   This approach gives the feature a practical purpose as well as a seasonal one.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention Coolstays' worldwide properties?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that contributors may recommend destinations anywhere
   2. To establish the company's scale while narrowing the feature's focus
   3. To suggest that the winning contributor must travel abroad
   4. To explain why the Guardian selected Coolstays as its publisher
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To establish the company's scale while narrowing the feature's focus

   The detail adds context while contrasting the prize's scope with submissions' scope.

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

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organised overall?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Chronologically, from Halloween's origins to contemporary tourism
   2. By contrasting competing newspapers' approaches to travel writing
   3. From the invitation's scope to its practical value and publication process
   4. By ranking experiences according to their historical importance
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From the invitation's scope to its practical value and publication process

   It moves from eligibility and examples to criteria, benefits, judging, and publication.

   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.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which criterion is presented as especially important for a successful submission?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Its inclusion in a nationally recognised tourism campaign
   2. Its ability to offer luxury accommodation nearby
   3. Its memorable qualities and the reasons they matter
   4. Its connection with a famous supernatural investigation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Its memorable qualities and the reasons they matter

   The article repeatedly prioritises the experience's memorable and distinctive qualities.

   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.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship does the article establish between atmosphere and usefulness?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Atmosphere is treated as incompatible with practical information
   2. Atmosphere can enhance practical advice when described clearly
   3. Atmosphere matters only for readers choosing guided tours
   4. Atmosphere is presented as less valuable than geographical precision
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Atmosphere can enhance practical advice when described clearly

   Atmospheric description makes practical recommendations easier to imagine and evaluate.

   A useful tip may therefore combine a clear description of the experience with details that convey its distinctive mood.

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.