AMIGOS

PEN PALS

Nivel: intermedio/avanzado

Many students of languages, especially younger (1) ………………….., try to find pen pals so that they can practice and (2) ....…….………… their skills by writing to a new friend. Nowadays, of course, everyone uses the internet to speak to their friends, free, on VOIP or Skype.

The student of English as a second language can find a pen pal who is a native (3) ………………. speaker, and if that person is also studying your language then you can help each (4) …………………….

However, it needs commitment and (5) …….…..………. to create and maintain a friendship by mail. The biggest disappointment for most beginners who are looking for pen pals is that the (6) …......…….………… seems to last for only two or three emails and then stops.

There (7) …………..………….. be many reasons for this, but it may be that the details given by prospective pen pals are not quite true or don’t really (8) ……………... the other person’s wishes.

If the two people are not completely honest then they are not going to

(9) …………………. a happy ‘fit’. Even a simple thing like saying you are in a specific age-range of pen pals, when in fact you are not, will quickly

(10) ……………….….. the best efforts.

There are many ways to meet pen friends and a quick look on the (11)…………………… will show many companies that specialize in bringing people (12) …………………….. as pen pals.

The exciting thing about all this is that a person on the other

(13) ……….…………. of the world, in a country very far away and

(14) ……………………. from your own, could easily be your next pen pal!

Of course this was true (15) ……………………… the internet was invented, and there is no doubt that many long-lasting friendships have been (16) …………..………… in this way.

On the internet, you will see that companies may offer their services

(17) ……….………….  giving instant access to the email addresses of their clients, or they may ask you to pay. They may ask that you register to ensure that email addresses are not (18) ……………..………… for bad purposes.

This is a good idea for the security of people in the age range 12 to 15 (usually the youngest age group you can see) but it

(19) ………….………… unnecessary for people in the older age ranges, who could receive more replies if their addresses were on public display.

Some companies play a more active (20) ………….………. in finding compatible pen friends and they charge a fee. But generally there is no need to pay.

CHOICES:

1.   a) socks b) countries c) people d) culture

2.   a) improve b) amend c) forget d) chew

3.   a) fast b) English c) obvious d) bad

4.   a) other b) cakes c) fruit d) under

5.   a) error b) pageant c) jokes d) planning

6.   a) correspondence b) title c) current d) illness

7.   a) altogether b) many c) might d) was

8.   a) was b) relatives c) satisfy d) tunes

9.   a) party b) event c) never d) make

10. a) destroy b) disguise c) depart d) underhand

11. a) enterprise b) scandal c) clarify d) internet

12. a) apart b) afraid c) washing d) together

13. a) center b) side c) bath d) world

14. a) related b) sugar c) depend d) different

15. a) before b) behind c) story d) weekend

16. a) bottle b) submerged c) made d) divorce

17. a) vehicles b) free c) dinners d) windows

18. a) laughed b) boiled c) displeased d) used

19. a) seems b) washes c) goes d) folds

20. a) music b) interview c) role d) rest

ANSWERS:

1c, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5d, 6a, 7c, 8c, 9d, 10a, 11d, 12d,

13b, 14d, 15a, 16c, 17b, 18d, 19a, 20c.