5
 

She decided¹ it was time for her own intervention².

Edwina left the platform and a railed-off staff area and, with difficulty, made her way through the milling crowd to the main front door.

A. Yet she knew however much they hurried it would still take ten to fifteen minutes to open any single new account. It always did. The paperwork required that time.

B. But still no hostility³ was evident. Everyone in the now jam-packed bank who was spoken to by members of the staff answered politely and with a smile. It seemed, Edwina thought, as if all who were here had been briefed to be on best behavior.

C. A security guard directed him, "Over there for new accounts." The guard pointed⁴ to a desk where a clerk ? a young girl ? sat waiting. She appeared nervous. The big man walked toward her, smiled reassuringly⁵, and sat down. Immediately a press of others moved into a ragged⁶ line behind him, waiting for their turn.

D. Even leaning close to the intercom, it was hard to hear above the noise.

E. Even tripling the present complement⁷ of clerks would permit very few more than two hundred and fifty accounts to be opened in a day, yet already, in the first few minutes of business, the bank was crammed⁸ with at least four hundred people, with still more flooding in, and the line outside, which Edwina rose to check, appeared as long as ever.

F. Obviously someone had alerted the press in advance, which explained the presence of the TV camera crew outside. Edwina wondered who had done it.

Part CAnswer questions 1-10 by referring to the comments on 3 different cars in the following magazine article.Note: Answer each question by choosing A, B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once.A=Audi A3 B=Honda Civic⁹ C=Rover 216

Which car...

has a driver seat that can be adjusted to suit most people? 1. ____offers a poor view even when the mirrors are used? 2. ____gives the most space for tall passengers in the back? 3. ____has a convenient way to extend the space for suitcases? 4. ____is most likely to suffer damage to the petrol supply in the case of frontal collision? 5. ____offers the most easily tuned¹⁰ radio? 6. ____would remain silent in the event of theft? 7. ____allows easy access to the back seats? 8. ____has the best engine design in terms of saving money? 9. ____has its handbook criticised? 10. ____

Audi A3Most of our drivers said the A3 was their clear favourite in this group. They described it as refined and comfortable with good handling characteristics and light, precise steering¹¹.All the seats were comfortable and the front ones were easy to adjust. Most drivers liked the driving position, helped by a good range of steering wheel and seat height adjustments. The main instruments were clear and dashboard controls were well positioned.Mirror coverage¹² was very good but our drivers complained that the view out of the rear was badly hindered by the high rear window line and thick pillars.Getting into the back seats was easy, thanks to a clever seat mechanism¹³, which moves the seat up and forward as well as tilting¹⁴ the backrest. Rear legroom was reasonable but the rear seat was only barely wide enough for three adults.Luggage space was average for this class of car but you have to remove the rear head restraints to fold the rear seat. There were plenty of useful interior stowage spaces.All A3s come with an alarm and immobiliser as standard. Our 'thief' got in through the doors in 20 seconds, But the radio was a non-standard fit, which is likely to deter¹⁵ thieves.The hinges of the rear seats could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment¹⁶. Also, the driver's knees could be damaged by stiff structures under the dash.Some parts of the fuel system and electrics would be vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision.

Honda CivicHonda says its special VTEC engine has a winning combination of economy and performance, but our drivers found it a bit of a curate's egg. It was the most economical of the cars on test, but drivers found it sluggish¹⁷ at low revs¹⁸, and its acceleration¹⁹ in fifth gear was slow, so overtaking normally meant having to shift down to fourth gear.The driving position was acceptable, but our panel criticised the restricted rear visibility ? the rear window was quite small. Drivers found the back rest supportive but it was not possible to make fine adjustments to the angle. The ride comfort was acceptable, but it wasn't as good as the Audi's or Rover's.The driver's seat didn't slide forward when it was tilted²⁰, making rear access awkward from this side. In the back, headroom and legroom was excellent but testers didn't find the seats particularly comfortable.The luggage space was small for this class of car, especially with the rear seats in place. However, folding the rear seat to increase luggage space was easy.Other points identified by our panel included well-placed minor²¹ controls, good mirror coverage, but fiddly radio controls.All Civics come with an immobiliser but no alarm. You may want to consider paying extra for an alarm, as our 'thief' broke into through the doors in 13 seconds, and into the engine bay in just five seconds.There were stiff structures under the dash which could damage the driver's knees in an accident, though there was no problem on the passenger's side. The handbook (like the Audi's) provided advice on using child restraints.

Rover 216The 1.6-litre engine had good power delivery at both high and low revs but some drivers complained that it was noisy at high revs. The brakes didn't have very good progression, but drivers like their positive feel.Ride comfort and the handling were praised. But drivers found it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat was not height-adjustable, and there was only limited space to rest your clutch foot. Some testers also found the seat backrest uncomfortable. Visibility was marred²² by the small mirrors. The rear view was also restricted by thick pillars and the small rear window.Getting into the back was tricky²³ because the front seats did not slide forward when tilted. Once in the back, legroom and headroom were poor, and testers complained that their rear seat base was unsupportive.Luggage space was smaller than average for this class of car ? this was compounded by a high boot sill and difficulties in folding the rear seat. But there were large pockets in the doors and rear side panels.The main radio controls were more convenient; they were mounted on the steering wheel so drivers didn't have to take their hands off the wheel to use them.Our Rover 200s came with an alarm, though this isn't standard on all versions. Our 'thief' broke in through the doors in 15 seconds.Some of the electrics would be vulnerable in a frontal impact. The rear seat hinges could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, information in the handbook on using child restraints was inadequate²⁴.