— THE TAJ MAHAL: MONUMENTAL LOVE. Every year, thousands of tourists board an express train or hire a car in New Delhi and travel to Agra on a pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal. To the Western World, the image of the curved white domes of the Taj Mahal, displayed endlessly on travel brochures, is synonymous with India. However, the postcard picture does not adequately convey the legend and romance behind the world's most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb. The story behind the Taj Mahal has its roots in a dynasty of Muslim emperors who reigned in India from 1.526 to 1.858. During this time, Indian culture and art flourished, leaving plenty of structures of historical significance but none as famous as the Taj Mahal.
In 1.612, one of the world's greatest love stories began when Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess, married Shah Jehan, who was soon to become the 5th emperor in the Mughal dynasty. By all accounts, Mumtaz and the emperor were soul mates. Mumtaz accompanied her husband throughout his travels and military expeditions, and was his most trusted political adviser. Unfortunately, as with any legendary love story, tragedy lurked in their future. In 1.630, Mumtaz died while giving birth to her 14th child. The death of Mumtaz affected the emperor so deeply that his black hair and beard turned snow white in just a few months. The emperor was overcome with grief, and vowed to keep his beloved wife's memory alive forever. He decided to build her a monument of eternal love.
After twenty-two years and the combined effort of over twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen, the monument was finally completed in 1.648, at a cost of 32 million rupees. The vast main hall built with material from all over India and central Asia and required 1.000 elephants to transport the material to the site. Many contemporary historians believe that the Taj Mahal symbolizes the tyranny of a powerful ruler exploiting his subjects and showing off his magnificence to the world. Whether the Taj Mahal symbolizes true love, an emperor's power, or a little of both, Shah Jehan deserves credit for turning the death of his wife into a symbol of lasting beauty.
Answer these questions about the text. Use your own words whenever possible (2 points, 1 each).
a. What was the effect of Mumtaz Mahal's death on Shah Jehan? How is her death connected to the Taj Mahal?
b. According to many contemporary historians, what does the Taj Mahal symbolize?

Read the following statements, decide whether they are true or false and justify your answer by quoting evidence from the text (1 point, 0,5 each).
a. When the Taj Mahal was built, Indian culture was in decline.
b. Mumtaz married Shah Jehan because he was not the emperor yet.

Find in the text the word or group of words which match these definitions (1 point, 0,20 each).
a. Pamphlets with pictures and information, usually advertising something. (Paragraph 1)
b. Two people who are perfectly suited to each other. (Paragraph 2)
c. Reliable, faithful, regarded as honest and sincere. (Paragraph 2)
d. Displaying ostentatiously. (Paragraph 3)
e. Continuing to exist for a long time or forever. (Paragraph 3)

Complete the text using the correct words from the box below. There are 2 words that you won't need (2 points, 0,25 each).
The Taj Mahal was (a) ______ entirely of white marble. The central dome, called the Taj, is 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet (b) ______. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid tomb of the queen. When Shah Jehan died, he was buried in the Taj beside his beloved Mumtaz. One of the (c) ______ intriguing aspects of the Taj Mahal is the magical quality of (d) ______ changing colours. The river behind the Taj reflects light onto the white marble. Depending on the hour of the day or the season, the colours of the Taj are different. The (e) ______ time to view the (f) ______ beauty is at dawn or sunset. The origin of the name Taj Mahal has never (g) ______ clearly documented. It could be an abbreviated version of the name Mumtaz Mahal, (h) ______ means "Exalted One of the Palace".
BOX: STUNNING · HEIGHT · BEEN · BEST · THEIR · MOST · ITS · WHICH · HIGH · BUILT

Write a composition of about 150-200 words on ONE of the following topics (4 points).
a. What's your opinion about love relationships nowadays? Do you believe in love for life (forever)? Give your point of view.
b. Write about your favourite love story. It may be from a film, a book or real life.

— CAR SHARING: BLABLACAR. When money is tight we all look for ways to make savings. Travelling can be expensive and weighing up the pros and cons of train, coach and car journeys can be tricky. Drivers know the cost of petrol is high, and car sharing is a good way to reduce the cost. For non-drivers looking to travel, the cost of car sharing can be a real saving over other modes of transport as well as a source of companionship on the journey. So, car sharing apps have come along to help match those going from A to B by car with those wanting a lift. The BlaBlaCar app lets you search thousands of available rides every day — and these are not restricted to the UK: London to Paris for £24, anyone? Several social elements help make people feel more comfortable sharing a car ride with someone they haven't met. To select someone to ride with, passengers can look at user profiles that include a photo, age range, music interests and a popup window showing mutual Facebook friends.
How did it all start? BlaBlaCar was born one Christmas, when founder Frédéric Mazzella, a student at Stanford, wanted to get home to his family in France. He had no car. The trains were full. The roads, too, were full of people driving home, alone in their car. It occurred to him that he should try and find one of the drivers going his way and offer to share petrol costs in exchange for use of an empty seat. He thought he could do it online, but no such site existed… so he created it. The adventure had begun! Now the company has turned into a pan-European community marketplace that connects drivers and passengers. It was called BlaBlaCar because when users create their profile they indicate their level of in-car chattiness as "Bla" (watches the scenery go by), "BlaBla" (can be chatty) or "BlaBlaBla" (won't keep quiet).
BlaBlaCar says it has seen 87 per cent more rides shared since January this year, a thumbs-up for the concept which, says BlaBlaCar, is used for more than a million trips across Europe every month. With the ability to sign up at the last minute if rides are on offer this is a hugely flexible and economic way to travel. And you might make some new friends into the bargain.
Answer these questions about the text. Use your own words wherever possible (2 points, 1 each).
a. What are the advantages of using BlaBlaCar?
b. Write a brief summary of how Frédéric Mazzella came up with his idea.

Read the following statements, decide whether they are true or false and justify your answer by quoting evidence from the text (1 point, 0,5 each).
a. People who don't have much money don't look for bargains.
b. If you rate yourself with a single "Bla" when creating your profile, it implies you are not a talkative person.

Find in the text the word or group of words which match these definitions (1 point, 0,20 each).
a. Thinking about carefully, evaluating in the mind. (Paragraph 1)
b. A free ride in another person's vehicle, normally a car. (Paragraph 1)
c. Changed from one thing to another. (Paragraph 2)
d. A gesture or expression of agreement. (Paragraph 3)
e. To join an organization or group. (Paragraph 3)

Complete the text using the correct words from the box below. There are 2 words that you won't need (2 points, 0,25 each).
Kate Wong is (a) ______ ready to pick up the two passengers who will ride in her car for a (b) ______ drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Wong is part of a growing trend in the U.S. toward ride sharing, an online service linking drivers with passengers. (c) ______ the same way, Wong visits her boyfriend in San Francisco about (d) ______ three weeks and she says this method makes the trip (e) ______. She will be sharing her car with two (f) ______ strangers. She's seen their photos and profiles together with music preferences, and (g) ______ made sure they each have a healthy batch of mutual Facebook friends. Brett, one of the passengers, is an art student who came to San Francisco from Pasadena to see friends. He says a trip like (h) ______ is usually cheaper than a one-way plane ticket for this route, which is great for college students.
BOX: IS · COMPLETE · SO · GOING · THIS · EVERY · AFFORDABLE · GETTING · 5-HOUR · HAS

Write a composition of about 150-200 words on ONE of the following topics (4 points).
a. You want to travel from London to Oxford using the BlaBlaCar service. Write a letter to the company asking for information about how it works. Express any doubts or fears you may have.
b. Even though you were a bit reluctant to use the BlaBlaCar service you decided to give it a try and unexpected things happened. Tell your story.