B1 Preliminary (PET) Practice Paper 22

alice: Hi, I heard you're looking for new members for the community garden. How does it work? george: Yes, that's right! We meet every Saturday morning from nine to eleven to work on the plots together. alice: That sounds manageable. Is there a fee to join? george: There's a small annual fee of fifteen pounds, which covers seeds, tools, and water for the whole garden. alice: That's reasonable. Do I need any gardening experience? george: Not at all, we have experienced members who are happy to teach beginners everything they need to know. alice: Great, that's reassuring. What can members grow in their section of the garden? george: Mostly vegetables and herbs, though some members also grow flowers. Each person gets their own small plot. alice: Perfect. Is it possible to visit before deciding whether to join? george: Of course, just come along this Saturday and see how you feel about it.

Community gardens have become increasingly popular in cities where residents often live in apartments without access to outdoor space. These shared plots of land allow neighbours to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs together, while also creating opportunities to meet people they might never otherwise talk to. When a community garden opened near Ahmed's apartment building two years ago, he was initially sceptical about whether he would have time to participate. However, after a neighbour invited him to help plant tomatoes one Saturday morning, he found himself enjoying the physical work and the conversations with other gardeners far more than he had anticipated. Research suggests that community gardens can improve residents' mental wellbeing, partly because gardening reduces stress and partly because of the social connections formed. Ahmed has noticed this himself: he now recognises dozens of neighbours by name, something that seemed impossible when he first moved into the building. The garden has also produced practical benefits, since Ahmed's household now grows enough vegetables during summer months to significantly reduce their grocery bills.

Urban gardening projects ___1___ increasingly common across many cities in recent years. When my local council ___2___ a plot of unused land into a community garden, I decided to get involved despite having no previous gardening experience. At first, I ___3___ unsure whether I would enjoy spending my weekends outdoors doing physical work. However, after a few sessions, I ___4___ that gardening was surprisingly relaxing compared to my usual stressful weekdays. One of the older members of the group ___5___ me a great deal about which vegetables grow best in our climate. By the end of the first summer, our group ___6___ enough vegetables to share with a local food bank. I now ___7___ forward to weekends because I know I will spend time outside with people I have come to know well. If more cities ___8___ similar projects, I believe urban life would become noticeably more pleasant.