Question

For most of us it seems that money makes the world go round. However, not for Mark Boyle who has turned his
life into a radical experiment.
Mark Boyle was born in 1979 in Ireland and moved to Great Britain after getting a degree in Business.
He set up his own business in Bristol. For six years Mark Boyle managed two organic food companies
which made him a good profit.
However, in 2008, he decided to give up earning money. He vowed to live without cash, credit cards, or
any other form of finance. Mark Boyle began to realise that many of the world’s problems are just
symptoms of a deeper problem. He thought that money gave people the illusion of independence.
Mark sold his house and started preparing himself for his new life. He posted an advert on a website
asking for a tent, a caravan (a vehicle for living or travelling) or any other type of a house. Soon an old
lady gave him a caravan for free. At least he then had a roof over his head!
After that, with his pockets empty, Mark was ready to go. He didn't even carry keys as he decided to
trust the world a bit more and not lock his caravan. On November 28th (International Buy Nothing Day
2008), he became the Moneyless Man for one whole year.
Everything was different from then on. Mark lived in his caravan on an organic farm where he worked
as a volunteer three days a week. In return he got a piece of land to live on and grow his own vegetables.
His food was cooked on a stove, and he washed in a shower made from a plastic bag hanging from a
tree, and warmed by the sun.
Even breakfast was different. With no morning coffee to brew, Mark had to find an alternative drink to start the
day with. So he drank herbal teas, sometimes with some fresh lemon verbena that he could find near the caravan.
“It’s all very good for you: iron, calcium, anti-oxidants,” Mark said.
Food was the first thing to consider. Mark discovered that there were four ways to find it: looking for wild food,
growing his own food, bartering (exchanging his grown food for something else), and using loads of waste food
from shops.
Public interest in his project was divided. While a huge number of people supported him, there was
criticism of him, particularly on Internet forums. “People are either very positive about what I’m doing or
very negative; I think it’s about 70 percent / 30 percent. It’s funny, if you don't have a massive plasma TV these
days, people think you are an extremist,” Mark said.
People tend to ask Mark what he learnt from a year of a moneyless life. “What have I learned? That
friendship, not money, is real security,” he answers.
Mark’s remarkable journey is described in his new book “The Moneyless Man”, which shows in a detailed way
the challenges he faced on the road to his new world.
1. Mark’s business in Bristol was successful.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

2. Mark bought an expensive caravan for his new life.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

3. Mark’s family approved of his moneyless project.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

4. Mark got money for his work on the organic farm.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

5. The only thing Mark couldn’t give up was coffee.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

6. Mark got food from different sources.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

7. People’s attitudes towards Mark’s project were different.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

8. Some of Mark’s fans want to repeat his experiment.

A. True; B. False; C. Not stated

USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space, mark the correct letter A, B, C on your
answer sheet.

Resources for Our Readers

The hit of the party is (0) _A_ 385-page soft cover book with twelve party ideas for kids. Each chapter
has menus, recipes, cake ideas, flavours, (1) _______, costumes, crafts, and games. “What you (2)
________” and “what you do” lists are included, (3) ______ with instructions and diagrams. Invitations,
thank-you notes costumes, and favours you can photocopy make the book an investment (4) ________
will pay for itself (5) _______ and again. The price of (6) ____-book is 26.95 USD which includes
shipping, (7)______ and the sales tax. Please order early; quantities of this book are limited, and we
process orders on a (8) _______first-served basis. (9) ______ with your Master Card, or American
Express card, call 800-881-4066. To order (10) _________ mail, specify the products you desire and
send a check or money order for the total to: Better Homes and Gardens® Reader Shopping Service,
Dept. 0009, Box 9128, Des Moines, IA 50306-9128.
0 A a B an C the
1 A decorations B decorative C decorated
2 A are going B ought C need
3 A alone B along C lonely
4 A that B who C whose
5 A neither... nor B over... over C so ... as
6 A a B the C an
7 A handling B handler C handle
8 A one-come B first-come C first-served
9 A order B have been ordering C to order
10 A by B with C on

Answer 1

## Answers to Reading Comprehension Questions

1. **B. False**
The text states that Mark sold his house and started preparing for a life without money. This implies he had financial resources but chose not to use them.

2. **B. False**
The text says an old lady gave him a caravan for free.

3. **C. Not stated**
The text doesn't mention Mark's family's reaction to his project.

4. **A. True**
The text states that Mark worked as a volunteer on the organic farm in exchange for a piece of land to live on and grow his own food.

5. **B. False**
The text mentions Mark finding alternative drinks for breakfast, implying he gave up coffee.

6. **A. True**
The text mentions four ways Mark found food: foraging, growing his own, bartering, and using food waste from shops.

7. **A. True**
The text says some people supported Mark while others criticized him, with a 70/30 split.

8. **C. Not stated**
The text doesn't mention any fans wanting to follow Mark's experiment.


## Answers to Use of English Questions

0. **B. an**
The sentence talks about a specific book, hence "an" is used.

1. **A. decorations**
The context requires a noun describing the party ideas.

2. **B. need**
The sentence refers to what the reader "needs" to do for a party.

3. **A. alone**
The instructions mentioned before are "alone" in the list of provided materials.

4. **A. that**
"That" is used to introduce a relative clause describing the book.

5. **C. so ... as**
The sentence compares the book's value to its cost.

6. **B. the**
The price refers to a specific book just mentioned.

7. **C. handling**
The sentence talks about "handling" the shipping and sales tax.

8. **C. first-come**
This phrase means "first orders get processed first."

9. **C. to order**
The sentence offers instructions on how to "order" with a credit card.

10. **B. with**
"With" is used to indicate the method of ordering by mail.