FCE Reading Part 7 practice: Learning an instrument as an adult
This is a free FCE Reading Part 7 practice set: four short texts by different people and ten statements to match to them. It is part of our FCE practice collection. For tips on scanning quickly, read our Part 7 multiple matching guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
Before you start
Part 7 tests whether you can find specific information and opinions quickly. Many candidates aim for about twelve to fifteen minutes, because the Reading and Use of English paper has one time limit for all seven parts, so it helps to know how long each part takes you, and this is the last part.
- Read the ten statements first and underline the key idea in each.
- The texts say the same thing in different words, so look for meaning, not matching words.
- Be careful: a text often mentions the same topic as a statement but says something different about it.
Practice · Reading & Use of English Part 7
Reading Part 7 practice 1: Learning an instrument as an adult
Instructions: You are going to read about four people who started learning a musical instrument as adults. For questions 1–10, choose from the people (A–D). The people may be chosen more than once.
A Piano
I started the piano at forty-one, after sitting through my daughter's lessons for a year and realising I wanted a turn. The hardest thing was accepting that my hands simply refused to do what my brain told them. I could see exactly which note came next, and yet my fingers would hesitate as if they'd never met. For the first few months I had lessons online, which were convenient, but my teacher couldn't see how badly I was sitting, and I developed a sore back. Now I go to a teacher's house every Thursday, and the difference has been huge. I practise early in the morning, before anyone else is up. My family asked me to play at a birthday party once, and I agreed, but honestly, my favourite moments are when the house is empty and nobody is listening at all.
B Drums
I'd always tapped on tables, so a friend joked that I should get a drum kit. I took her seriously. I learned almost entirely from videos, copying the players frame by frame, and within six months I was good enough to join a community band that rehearses in a church hall. That was when things changed. I'd thought of drumming as something I did alone, but the band has become the centre of my social life. We go out after every rehearsal, and some of them are now among my closest friends. Honestly, if the band broke up tomorrow I'd miss the people far more than the playing. The only real problem was at home: the family upstairs knocked on my door after the second week, very politely, to ask how long this was going to continue. I bought an electronic kit with headphones, and we've been on good terms since.
C Violin
I played the violin until I was twelve and then gave it up completely for football. When I picked it up again at thirty-five, I expected to start from zero, but my fingers remembered more than I did, which was a strange feeling. The sound, on the other hand, was terrible for weeks, and my cat left the room whenever I opened the case. What kept me going was a promise to a close friend: I'd said I would play a short piece at her wedding, so I had a date in my diary and a reason to practise every evening. The wedding went well, nobody cried for the wrong reasons, and I've carried on since. I know I'll never be a brilliant violinist, and I'm comfortable with that. I play because I enjoy it, not because I'm going anywhere with it.
D Ukulele
I chose the ukulele for very practical reasons. I travel a lot for work, and I needed something light that fits into a suitcase and doesn't cost a fortune if an airline damages it. The last instrument I'd played was the recorder at primary school, so I really was a beginner. When I told a colleague about it, he laughed and called it a toy, which irritated me more than I let him see. It's a real instrument with its own challenges, and anyone who has tried to play quickly on those small strings will agree. These days I practise in hotel rooms in the evenings, quietly, and I've started writing short songs of my own, mostly about the places I visit. If someone asked my advice, I'd say pick something that doesn't put you off at the start. You can always move on to something harder later.
- 1. had played their instrument before
- 2. had to find a solution to a problem with people living nearby
- 3. chose their instrument because it was easy to carry
- 4. found that their body was slow to follow instructions
- 5. practised with a particular performance in mind
- 6. was annoyed by a remark someone made about their instrument
- 7. values the people they have met more than the music itself
- 8. changed the way they were taught
- 9. now creates their own music
- 10. has accepted that they will never reach a high level
After you finish
Look at the explanations for the traps. In most questions another person mentions a similar topic, such as a family party or a friend's comment, but the detail doesn't match the statement.
Next, try the gapped text set or move on to Listening with the Part 1 practice set.
Questions about this practice set
Can I use the same letter more than once?
Yes. In Part 7 each person or text can be the answer to several statements.
Should I read all the texts first?
It is usually faster to read the statements first, then read each text once with the statements in mind.