Achievement test 1 – Reading 1

Units 1–4
You are going to read a magazine article about child prodigies (children who are very clever).
Nine sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–I the one
which fits each gap.
Example: 0 F

Child Prodigies
Over the last few decades, there have been
many accounts of child prodigies who, because
of their brilliance, become famous at a young
age. Some continue to achieve as they grow
older, but others suffer due to the pressure
that has been put upon them.
Ainan Celeste Cawley, the son of Irish/Malay
parents, was able to construct complex
sentences by his first birthday. Aged six, he
became the youngest person ever to pass
O-level* Chemistry. Following this success, he
started an A-level** in the same subject and
when he was seven, his parents started looking
for a university that would offer their son a
place. 0  . Many professors
drew their attention to the obvious practical
issues, not to mention the possible long-term
psychological damage someone of that age
might suffer.
However, Ainan isn’t the only gifted child in
the family. 1 . They are all
still too young for anyone to be able to assess
how they will grow up, but there is a lot of
documentary evidence to suggest that the story
might not have such a happy ending.
2 . When the police finally
found her, she blamed her parents for putting
too much pressure on her. She didn’t return
to finish her course and went on to work for
a while as an administrative assistant for a
construction firm.
Then there was Bobby Fischer, an international
chess grandmaster at 15 and youngest-ever US
chess champion. With such success, however,
came personal problems. 3 .
He joined a religious group and finally gave
up chess and withdrew from everyday life.
4 .
Jennifer Capriati (born 1976) also suffered a
period of great psychological stress. She became
a tennis professional at the age of 13, and at
14 was the youngest-ever semi-finalist at the
French Open, finishing the year ranked 8th in the
world. 5 . After a few years,
she returned to tennis and subsequently became
the world number one again.
While many prodigies are haunted by their
success, there are also those who seem to
cope with the fame and go on to lead fulfilling
lives. 6 . She graduated
from Oxford University in 1985 at the age of
13 with a first-class degree in Mathematics.
After completing her doctorate at Oxford, she
went to Harvard and subsequently emigrated to
Israel, where she now lives and works with her
husband, a fellow mathematician, and their four
children.
7 . She was the youngest
soloist to record both the Beethoven and
Tchaikovsky violin concertos at the age of 13
and was soon making regular TV appearances.
In April 2006, she was the wealthiest young
entertainer under the age of 30 in the UK and
continues to perform all over the world.
8 . Perhaps they should all
be allowed to find their own way through life
rather than being put in the spotlight by eager
parents and the media.

* the old name for GCSE, an exam normally taken by 16-year-olds

** an exam normally taken by 18-year-olds

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Achievement test 1 – Reading 2

A His two younger siblings, Fintan and Tiarnan, are also making their mark.

B An Olympic gold medallist, winner of three Grand Slams and countless other tournaments, she gave up the
game in 1993 due to the extreme pressure.

C One such is Ruth Lawrence, a Maths genius whose upbringing caused a lot of media interest at the time.

D World-famous violinist Vanessa Mae began playing at the age of five.

E His behaviour became more erratic and extreme.

F Clearly there is much to consider when sending a child so young into further education.

G As we can see, some prodigies are able to handle the pressures of their brilliance, but there are just as many
who aren’t.

H Take, for example, the case of 15-year-old Maths prodigy Sufiah Yusof who ran away from Oxford University in
2000 after her third-year exams.

I He died in 2008 after a long illness.

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