Reading C1/C2. Model 4. Picking out specific information about texts

🧭 C1

Topic: “English in Sweden – A Nation of Fluent Speakers”

You are going to read four texts in which different people discuss the role of English in Sweden.For questions 1–10, choose from texts A–D.The texts may be chosen more than once.

Texts

A

When I first moved to Stockholm from London, I was amazed that nearly everyone spoke excellent English, often better than many native speakers! Ordering food, visiting the doctor, even talking to strangers — communication was effortless. At first, it seemed like a dream for an English speaker. But after a while, I noticed something deeper: Swedes switch languages with ease, yet they remain quietly proud of their own. English is a tool, not a threat. It makes life easier, but Swedish remains the language of emotion, humour, and home.

B

I’m a Swedish university student, and I can’t remember a time when English wasn’t part of my life. Our education system introduces it early, and most of our entertainment — from TV shows to video games — is in English. It doesn’t feel foreign; it feels natural. Still, I sometimes worry that our creativity and cultural identity depend too much on another language. Many of us write essays, music, or social media posts in English, not Swedish. It’s practical, yes, but I wonder what we lose when we stop thinking in our mother tongue.

C

From a business perspective, English has become essential in Sweden. Most international companies operate entirely in English, and even Swedish firms often use it internally to stay globally competitive. This linguistic flexibility helps our economy — it allows small Swedish startups to reach the world immediately. However, it also creates an invisible divide: professionals who speak fluent English enjoy far greater opportunities than those who don’t. English may be the key to success, but not everyone has the same key.

D

As a linguist, I find Sweden’s relationship with English fascinating. Unlike in some countries, English isn’t seen as cultural domination but as cooperation. Swedes use it pragmatically — to connect, innovate, and express ideas across borders. Yet, this comfort with English also blurs the boundaries of identity. Young Swedes mix both languages fluidly, creating what linguists call “Swenglish.” Some see this as corruption, others as creativity. I believe it’s a sign of confidence: Sweden has absorbed English without losing itself.

Questions

Which speaker…

1. describes how early exposure to English shapes daily life?

2. mentions economic inequality caused by differing language skills?

3. argues that English strengthens rather than weakens Swedish identity?

4. says that English is part of work and global business?

5. points out that language mixing is seen both positively and negatively?

6. expresses concern about losing creativity in the native language?

7. comments that English is convenient but not emotionally dominant?

8. explains that Sweden’s view of English differs from other countries’?

9. remarks that bilingualism can both connect and divide?

10. describes how fluency gives some Swedes more advantages than others?

✅ Answer Key

Q	Text	Explanation
1	B	“Education introduces it early… entertainment in English.”
2	C	“Fluent English speakers enjoy greater opportunities.”
3	D	“Absorbed English without losing itself.”
4	C	“International companies operate entirely in English.”
5	D	“Swenglish… corruption or creativity.”
6	B	“Worry that we depend too much on another language.”
7	A	“English is a tool, not a threat.”
8	D	“Unlike in some countries, not seen as domination.”
9	C	“English connects globally but divides socially.”
10	C	“Fluent speakers have greater opportunities.”

💡 C1 Tips

Skill	Focus	Example
Identify function words	“But,” “however,” “yet” → contrast main idea.	“It’s practical, yes, but…”
Find repeated ideas	Identity, communication, equality, education.	Often paraphrased.
Tone recognition	A = personal, B = reflective, C = professional, D = academic.	Helps match quickly.

🧠 C2

Topic: “Sweden’s English Paradox – Global Fluency, Local Identity”

You are going to read four extracts from essays about the influence of English in Sweden.For questions 1–10, choose from critics A–D.The extracts may be chosen more than once.

Texts

A

Sweden’s mastery of English has become almost mythic. It represents both openness and anxiety — a success story with a shadow. Linguistically, Sweden has embraced English with exceptional ease, integrating it into education, business, and everyday conversation. Yet this very fluency sometimes conceals a quiet tension: if English expresses ambition and modernity, what remains for Swedish to express? The nation’s bilingualism, admired abroad, can feel double-edged at home — a symbol of global reach, but also a subtle erosion of linguistic intimacy.

B

The Swedish case challenges the idea that English inevitably threatens local cultures. Here, language contact produces adaptation, not replacement. Swedes have domesticated English — turning it into a flexible resource rather than a foreign presence. This can be seen in “Swenglish,” a creative interweaving of both tongues in advertising, pop culture, and online discourse. Such hybridity reflects cultural confidence: rather than feeling colonised by English, Sweden has reimagined it as a tool of self-expression within its own linguistic landscape.

C

Economically, Sweden’s fluency in English has been a decisive advantage. Global corporations like Ericsson and Spotify operate almost entirely in English, positioning the country as a model of linguistic modernity. Yet the very efficiency that English brings also creates social asymmetry. Those proficient in international English join the elite of global communication; others risk marginalisation. What was once a unifying bridge may now serve as a silent barrier. Language, like technology, distributes opportunity unevenly.

D

At a cultural level, Sweden’s use of English reveals a new type of identity — post-national and cosmopolitan. Young Swedes move fluidly between languages, media, and worlds, often without noticing. For them, English is not foreign but ambient, the natural background of modern life. However, this linguistic cosmopolitanism comes at a cost: emotional expression often retreats into Swedish. Fika may have no English equivalent, and lagom defies translation. Such untranslatable words remind Swedes that identity is not a product of fluency but of feeling.

Questions

Which critic…

1. describes English as both a benefit and a potential cultural risk?

2. sees Swedish bilingualism as a form of confidence, not surrender?

3. links linguistic skill to economic inequality?

4. portrays English as the new language of global business success?

5. mentions code-switching and language blending in Swedish media?

6. argues that English has been “domesticated” rather than imposed?

7. reflects on emotional meanings that remain uniquely Swedish?

8. connects language and technology as forces of exclusion?

9. refers to fluency creating an illusion of unity that hides division?

10. contrasts global communication with local intimacy?

✅ Answer Key

Q	Text	Explanation
1	A	“Success story with a shadow… erosion of intimacy.”
2	B	“Adaptation, not replacement… cultural confidence.”
3	C	“Those proficient join the elite; others marginalised.”
4	C	“Global corporations operate entirely in English.”
5	B	“Swenglish in advertising and pop culture.”
6	B	“Domesticated English, flexible resource.”
7	D	“Fika, lagom defy translation.”
8	C	“Language, like technology, distributes opportunity.”
9	A	“Fluency conceals a quiet tension.”
10	A/D	(Best A) “Global reach vs linguistic intimacy.”

🧠 C2 Tips

Focus	How to Apply	Example
Track metaphors	“Bridge,” “shadow,” “barrier,” “resource” → reveal argument tone.	C2 texts are metaphorical.
Recognise tone types	A = reflective, B = cultural, C = economic, D = philosophical.	Key to quick elimination.
Note contrast words	“Yet,” “however,” “but” — signal the author’s main view.	Especially in A and D.
Focus on concept pairs	global/local, confidence/anxiety, connection/division.	Cambridge uses such oppositions.

🌍 Summary Table

Level	Tone	Focus	Complexity
C1 Advanced	Practical & cultural	Identity, communication, daily use	Moderate
C2 Proficiency	Analytical & symbolic	Language, modernity, globalisation, emotion	High