Read items 39–42 and then quickly look through the text. Decide which part of the text (a–f)
matches each of the items 39–42 and mark your answers on the answer sheet.
39. You would like to find out about the writer’s surfing lesson.
40. You would like to know something about the people who live in Huntington Beach.
41. You want some information about the writer’s hotel.
42. You want to know where you can eat something in Huntington Beach.
Huntington Beach, California: A Teen Paradise
A. As a sixteen year old, I speak for myself and other teens when I say a dream vacation can be anywhere, as long as there is a beach. But with so many beaches in the world, how can one choose? Well, after visiting Huntington Beach, California last June with my mom, I think I found my perfect match. What's so great about Huntington Beach?
B. The first thing I saw as I walked along the beach was the giant pier that stretches more than 1,000 feet across the ocean. This pier was actually built over a century ago, in 1904, and has suffered through much destruction since then. Over 10 years ago, the pier was redone with new structural supports to be better suited for storms and earthquakes. One of the additions was a restaurant called Ruby’s Surf City Diner. It’s the building with the red roof, all the way at the end of the pier, and it’s where local teens go to eat burgers, fries, sandwiches and salads. The portions are huge! You can sit by the window and listen to Beach Boys music from the jukebox as you watch the surfers.
C. The view from the pier is great and you can see just how beautiful it is here. The ocean glistens in the sun as the sound of waves crashing fills your ears. Palm trees line the soft sand. Of course, you see gorgeous houses, and there’s no doubt the area is rich, but the people I met didn’t show any snobbishness whatsoever. In fact, everyone here seemed really friendly. I guess they really have no reason to be unhappy when they’re living in a place like this!
D. On the day I surfed, the water was rough and the conditions not perfect, but my mom and I tried it anyway. And it was most definitely worth it. After a quick training session on land from the instructors we were broken up into small groups and taken into the water. I’d come so close to getting up on my board and then lose my balance at the last minute. But the instructors never gave up on me. On my one last try before our lesson was over, I finally succeeded! I got up on my board! Even if it was for less than two seconds before I fell back into the water, it was still a great feeling!
E. After the surfing, we were pretty wet and cold. So after relaxing for a little while on the beautiful beach, my mom and I went back to our wonderful hotel, The Waterfront Resort. Outside, it’s surrounded by flowers, while inside, the lobby has a tropical garden with palm trees and even a waterfall! After a shower, we headed back out for a walk around the town, where we enjoyed getting a good look at other places to stay at in the future.
F. I’ll be the first to admit that we teenagers are hard to please. But Huntington Beach should certainly be proud of how well they cater to teens. While lying on the beach once, I put together a long list of reasons to read to my parents of why we have to go back and vacation in Huntington Beach again as soon as possible. After all, what better place could there be for teens than Huntington Beach, California where the sun always shines and surfing is always so much fun?
The kilt is seen as an item of traditional Scottish Highland dress, although the origin of that tradition is more recent than is commonly believed. It was only with the Romantic Revival of the 19th century that the kilt became irreversibly associated with Highlanders, largely because of non-Highlanders reinterpreting their traditions. Today most Scotsmen see kilts as formal dress. They are often worn at weddings or other formal occasions, while there are still a few people who wear them daily. Kilts are also used for parades by groups like the Boy Scouts, and in many places kilts are seen in force at Highland games and Pipe band championships as well as being used for Scottish country dances and ceilidhs. The army still continues to have kilts as dress uniform, though they are no longer used in combat.