Vera Neumann: fabric designer

Vera Neumann was a designer and businesswoman whose products 0 _____ their way into the homes of people across the USA.

Vera was born in Connecticut in 1907 and showed artistic 1 _____ from an early. After attending art college in New York, she got a job as a textile designer, but didn’t like being 2 _____ what to do. Determined to develop her own styles, Vera started to produce tablecloths, each item printed by hand in her kitchen.

But it was her scarves that 3 _____ Vera’s name. Good fabric was in short 4 _____ during the Second World War, but Vera was lucky enough to 5 _____ across some silk left over from the manufacture of parachutes. Vera used it to design scarves with floral, abstract and geometric designs. These were an 6 _____ success when they appeared in department stores and during the 1950s they were the 7 _____ of fashion, being worn by celebrities such as the film star Marilyn Monroe. By 1960, the company which Vera had 8 _____ was employing 200 staff and producing 130 patterns per season.

Part 2

For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.
Example: AS

Tree-climbing

Many people will look back on tree-climbing 0 _____ a simple childhood pleasure and a natural test of human strength, stamina and agility. But these days, it has turned 9 _____ a more serious activity and is 10 _____ of the fastest-growing adventure sports in the country.

11 _____ the invention of expensive gyms with indoor climbing walls, tree-climbing was a cheap and simple way to get a similar type of exercise. These days, if you want to 12 _____ part in an organised tree-climbing activity, you 13 _____ to wear a helmet and attach yourself to ropes in 14 _____ you should lose your footing. But otherwise, tree-climbing is a very eco-friendly sport, involving minimum damage to trees or the environment.

Getting off the ground is perhaps the most challenging part of a climb. 15 _____ that, it’s about using your legs, 16 _____ are much stronger than your arms, to drive yourself up the tree. Reaching the top and then abseiling down again is a source of great satisfaction.

Part 3

For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.
Example: BOREDOM

Games in space

Click to download this FCE Reading and Use of English worksheet in PDF