There are people who say the most amazing structure on earth is the human

brain. It is so complex that it took about 700 million years to develop. Humans
started out as wormlike creatures that used one end of the body to move forward.
Ever so slowly, a bunch of nerves began developing at that one end — the head.
These nerves helped the creature to sense light, food and danger. Eventually, this
bunch of nerves became the creature’s brain. To carry messages from the brain to
other parts of the body, the creature grew a spinal cord. Later, the creature became a
fish with eyes, ears and a nose that could send the brain information about sights,
sounds and smells. More time passed, and the fish grew arms and legs so it could
move about on land. For this, it needed a larger and more complex brain. It became
an ape-like creature, and the parts of the brain used for seeing images and being
social grew much stronger. Finally, the ape-like creature became human, with a brain
that was capable of reason, emotion, creativity, memory and the ability to judge right
from wrong.

The human brain is very mysterious. Many questions about the brain have not
yet been answered. For example, why do we need to sleep or why do we dream?
There is a lot about the brain that we do not yet understand. Believe it or not, people
used to think of the brain as useless stuffing. Of course, we now know the brain is
our control centre. The surface of the brain is called the cerebral cortex. It is the part
of the brain that makes us intelligent, and it consists of four parts called lobes. The
front lobe is where much of our thinking and feeling happens. The top lobe processes
information which is coming from parts of our bodies, such as our skin and muscles.
The side lobe plays an important role in hearing, speech and long-term memories
while the back lobe processes images from our eyes.

Which do you think is more powerful: your brain or a supercomputer? You

might be surprised to learn that the world’s best supercomputer is only about as
powerful as half a mouse brain! Your brain is packed with 100 billion brain cells
called neurons. They send information to your body telling it what to do, and they
receive information from each of your senses, what you see, feel, taste, hear and
touch. All of this information travels to and from parts of your body along your
spinal cord, which is like a highway found down the center of your back. As the
information travels from neuron to neuron, pathways are created. When you think
about or practice something again and again, those pathways get stronger. That’s
how the brain learns and remembers. Actually, you were born with most of the
neurons you have now, but when you were a baby, you didn’t have many pathways
to connect them. As an adult, you now have more than 125 trillion connections
between your neurons. No computer on earth can compete with the speed of your
brain and how much information it can hold.

The top of the cerebral cortex ________________ .

   processes sounds that people hear

    processes things that people touch

    processes images from our eyes

A mouse brain is ________________ .

   about half as strong as the world's best supercomputer

    about twice as strong as the world's best supercomputer

    about as strong as the world' best supercomputer

What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

   People used to think the brain was not important.

    The cerebral cortex has three parts.

    The cerebral cortex, which has four parts, makes us intelligent.

The cerebral cortex consists of ________________ .

   useless stuffing

    four parts called lobes

    four parts called neurons

What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

   The brain has 100 million cells called neurons.

    The brain's neurons send and receive information throughout the body
faster than any computer.
     People are born with most of the neurons they have when they become
adults.

Adult humans have ________________ connections between neurons.

   700 million

    125 trillion

   100 billion

People who injure the side lobe of the cerebral cortex ________________ .

   are usually not very intelligent

    may have trouble remembering things

    may not be able to feel happiness or sadness as well as other people

The brain's neurons use the spinal cord like a ________________ .

   map which shows the locations of different parts of the body

    highway

    pathway

As used in this reading, the words "useless stuffing" refer to ________________ .

   unused or new neurons inside the brain

    unimportant material

  unimportant lobes on the surface of the cerebral cortex

Scottish Independence

The majority of people in Scotland are in favour breaking away from the rest of the
UK and becoming independent, according to a poll taken just before the 300th
anniversary of the Act of Union, which united Scotland and England.

A pair of Acts of Parliament, passed in 1706 and 1707 that came into effect on May
1, 1707, created Great Britain. The parliaments of both countries were dissolved, and
replaced by a new Parliament of Great Britain in Westminster, London.

The poll showed support for independence for Scotland is running at 51%. This is the
first time since 1998 that support for separation has passed 50%, and the first time
since devolution gave power to the country in 1999. Six months before elections for
the Scottish Parliament, these poll results come as good news to the Scottish
Nationalist Party, who are hoping to make progress against Labour and further the
cause of an independent Scotland.

Many people have become disillusioned with devolution, and believe that the
Scottish Parliament has failed to deliver what they had hoped it would; only a tenth
have no opinion. In fact, only 39% of those polled want to keep things as they are.

Scotland and England

have always been united.

want to break up the union.

have been united for a long time.

were united by war.

Q2 - Great Britain

was formed by an Act of Parliament in 1706.

was formed by two Acts of Parliament in 1707.

was formed by an Act of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.

was formed by Acts of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.
Q3 - People who want indepence for Scotland

are the vast majority.

 are in the minority.

are the slight majority.

have decreased in number since devolution.

Q4 - The majority of people wanted independence for the first time

before devolution.

in 1999.

after devolution.

before and after independence.

Q5 - The results of the poll are good news

for Labour.

for both parties.

for the Scottish Nationalist Party.

for devolution.
Q6 - Most people's opinions of devolution

have gone up.

have gone down.

are the same.

make progress against Labour.

Q7 - The number of people who want to keep things as they are

is greater than those that don't know.

is smaller than those that don't know.

is increasing.

is the majority.
Bully for you
The makers of a controversial computer game about bullying have decided to
go ahead and launch it despite calls for it to be banned. In the game, players take on
the role of a new students at a school and have to fight the bullies, by punching them
or hitting them with a baseball bat.Critics have said that the game encourages
violence, but the makers deny this and say that, while there is violence in the game, it
is just an amusing look at school life, besides which, the violence in the game is
directed against the bullies to protect pupils who are being bullied. The makers also
say that players will learn to stand up to bullies.

A British politician, a former minister, has called for it to be banned as it might

affect the way young people perceive violence.

Anti-bullying charities have said that the game might make people respond
violently to bullies, which might make things more complicated and result in injuries.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The makers of the computer game decided not to release it.

True

False

Q2 - In the game, the player takes on the role of a bully.

True

False

Q3 - The game is set in a university.

True

False

Q4 - Everyone agrees that the game encourages violence.

True
 False

Q5 - A British politician has spoken in favour of the game.

True

False

Q6 - The politician used to be a minister.

True

False

Q7 - The politician thinks it might make young people look at violence

differently.

True

False

Q8 - The anti-bullying charity thinks the game is good because it might make
pupils stand up to bullies.

True

False

Q9 - The anti-bullying charity thinks that people might get hurt because of this
game.

True

False

Q10 - The makers of the game have changed the contents before releasing it in
the UK.

True
False
Visit Angkor Wat

Siem Reap is a small town near the world famous temple of Angkor Wat. The
town is charming and worth exploring, with some fine examples of Khmer and
French colonial architecture set among the more modern developments. Nowadays,
visitors are flocking in, using it as a base for visits to the nearby temples.

A Carved City

From the 9th to the 14th centuries, when Europe was still struggling out of the
Dark Ages, the Cambodian Empire of Angkor covered most of present-day
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The heart of this empire during the 12th
century was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom, near present day Siem Reap, the
site of the world’s largest temple complexes, which were rediscovered in 1861.This
spectacular city was built over 30 years under the reign of King Suryavarman II
(1113-1150). The area covers about 400 square kilometres and is full of the finest
examples of Khmer art and architecture. Tourists are always amazed at the scale of
the place.

In Angkor Wat you will find more than 100 stone monuments and temple
buildings, each of which contains countless statues, sculptures and reliefs that have
weathered extremely little over the last 800 years. To see the whole thing can take
several days. The most important temples to visit in the area are Angkor Wat,
especially at sunrise or sunset; Angkor Thom, the remains of the capital; Ta Prohm, a
palace overgrown by jungle; and Bayon.

Getting a visa

Visas are required to enter Cambodia. You can obtain one on arrival at Siem
Reap International Airport for $20, and 1 passport photo is required per person. You
will also need another passport photo for the Angkor Temple Entrance Pass. Please
ensure you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and plenty of water to
drink as it is very hot there. The most commonly accepted currency in Cambodia is
the US dollar.

Comprehension Questions...
Q1 - Most people visit Siem Reap because of the temples in the area.

True

False

Q2 - In the 9th to the 14th centuries, Europe was more advanced than
Cambodia.

True

False

Q3 - Angkor Wat was the capital of the Cambodian empire.

True

False

Q4 - It took many decades to build the capital.

True

False

Q5 - The stonework of Angkor Wat is in poor condition today.

True

False

Q6 - It'll take a couple of days to see everything.

True

False

Q7 - Dawn and dusk are particularly good times to visit Angkor Wat.

True
 False

Q8 - You must get a visa before flying to Siem Reap.

True

False

Q9 - You will need a couple of passport photos.

True

False

Q10 - The US dollar is widely accepted in Cambodia.

True

False
Airbus crisis over

Airbus says it has turned the corner after a crisis connected to production
problems and turmoil in the boardroom at its A380 super-jumbo project that has gone
on for the past year. Speaking at the Paris air show, Louis Gallois, CEO of the
European planemaker, said, "Airbus is back."

Airbus, which announced a raft of orders on the first day of the show, is competing
with Boeing, its American rival, for the title of the largest planemaker in the world.

Boeing is expected to reveal the numbers of orders for its 787 Dreamliner soon.
Airbus orders unveiled on Monday included Qatar Airways confirming a $16bn
order for 80 A350 Airbus planes and ordering three A380 super-jumbos for about
$750m.

Boeing and Airbus are also competing for orders from aircraft leasing firms.
Orders from these companies - who rank highly among the biggest global buyers of
aircraft - are often regarded as an indication of how successful a model will be in the
long term.

Airbus also secured orders from US Airways that are worth $10bn for 22 of its
A350 jets, 60 A320s and ten of its A330-200 wide-body planes.A few months ago,
Airbus unveiled a major cost-cutting programme aiming to reduce the workforce in
Europe by 10,000, as well as announcing a group restructuring. "I can tell you with
full confidence that Airbus is back and fully back, as you have started noting
yesterday as demonstrated by our first day announcements," said Mr Gallois on the
second day of the air show.

However, Boeing also announced a deal with General Electric (GE) on the
show's first day. GE's commercial aviation services placed an order for six 777
Boeing freighters valued at around $1.4bn, to be delivered in the last quarter of 2008.
A Wall Street Journal website report, quoting the Delta operating chief yesterday
said that Delta Air Lines were on the verge of ordering as many as 125 Boeing 787
jetliners by the end of this year. However, a spokesman for Delta later said that it had
been having conversations "with several aircraft makers" and that "no final decision"
had been made on future fleet purchases.
Comprehension Questions...
Q1 - The problems at Airbus

have been resolved completely.

are well on their way to being sorted out.

are far from resolved.

Q2 - Airbus announced

a large number of orders on the first day of the show.

some orders on the first day of the show.

a few orders on the first day of the show.

Q3 - Qatar Airways ordered

83 planes on Monday.

80 planes on Monday.

3 planes on Monday.
Q4 - US Airways

placed an order for the new super-jumbo.

didn't place an order for the new super-jumbo.

may have placed an order for the new super-jumbo.

Q5 - Boeing

announced sales of the Dreamliner.

may sell some Dreamliners to General Electric.

may sell some Dreamliners to Delta Air Lines.

Q6 - The Wall Street Journal website report

was definitely correct.

was possibly correct.

was definitely wrong.

Biofuels and the Environment

Leading investors have joined the growing chorus of concern about governments and
companies rushing into producing biofuels as a solution for global warming, saying
that many involved in the sector could be jeopardising future profits if they do not
consider the long-term impact of what they are doing carefully.

It is essential to build sustainability criteria into the supply chain of any green fuel
project in order to ensure that there is no adverse effect on the surrounding
environment and social structures. The report produced by the investors expresses
concern that many companies may not be fully aware of the potential pitfalls in the
biofuel sector.

Production of corn and soya beans has increased dramatically in the last years as an
eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels but environmental and human rights
campaigners are worried that this will lead to destruction of rain forests. Food prices
could also go up as there is increased competition for crops as both foodstuffs and
sources of fuel. Last week, the UN warned that biofuels could have dangerous side
effects and said that steps need to be taken to make sure that land converted to grow
biofuels does not damage the environment or cause civil unrest. There is already
great concern about palm oil, which is used in many foods in addition to Q1 - ____
are worried about the boom in biofuels.

Few people

Many people

Only these leading investors

Q2 - Biofuel producers ____ know about the possible problems.

do not

might not

must not
Q3 - Environmentalists believe that increased production of corn and soya

has destroyed rain forests.

may lead to the destruction of rain forests.

will lead to the destruction of rain forests.

Q4 - Biofuels might

drive food prices up.

drive food prices down.

have little or no impact on food prices.

Q5 - The increased production of palm oil

just affects the environment.

just affects people.

affects both people and the environment.

Q6 - The author of the report says that biofuels

have no role to play in fighting global warming.

can be effective in fighting global warming on their own.

should be part of a group of measures to fight global warming

Gender bias and poverty

1) __________ between men and women results in poorer health for children and
greater 2) __________ for the family, 3) __________ to a new study. The UN
agency Unicef found that in places where women are 4) __________ from family
decisions, children are more likely to suffer from 5) __________. There would be 13
million 6) __________ malnourished children in South Asia if women had an equal
say in the family, Unicef said.

Unicef 7) __________ family decision-making in 30 countries 8) __________ the

world. Their chief finding is that equality between men and women is vital to 9)
__________ poverty and improving health, especially that of children, in developing
countries. The conclusions are contained in the agency's latest report. This report 10)
__________ to a greater 11) __________ of opportunities for girls and women in
education and work which contributes to disempowerment and poverty. Where men
control the household, less money is spent on health care and food for the family,
which 12) __________ in poorer health for the children.

An increase in 13) __________ and income-earning opportunities for women would

increase their 14) __________ power, the report said. For example, the agency found
that 15) __________ has the greater share of household income and assets decides
whether those resources will be used for family needs. 

Comprehension Questions...

Q1

Unequal

Inequal

Unequality
 Inequality

Q2

poor

poorness

poverty

impoverished

Q3

resulting

according

regarding

with regard

Q4

excluded

exclude

exclusion

excludes

Q5

ill-nourished

malnourish
 malnutrition

ill-nutrition
Q6

more

few

fewer

least
Q7

survey

surveying

surveys

surveyed

Q8

in

around

over

among

Q9

increase

reduce
 increasing

reducing

Q10

points

indicates

shows

suggests

Q11

lack

lacking

lacks

lacky

Q12

leads

result

lead

results

Q13

employ
 employment

employee

employed
Q14

house

householder

household

home
Q15

whatever

whoever

whichever

however

The ZX Spectrum

In April 1982 a British company, headed by Sir Clive Sinclair, launched the ZX
Spectrum computer on the market and sparked an IT revolution.The tiny black
computer with its rubber keys ignited the home computer age both in the UK and
elsewhere, which led to an boom in computer manufacturing and developed software
programmers whose talent is still evident today.The ZX Spectrum was the brainchild
of the entrepeneur Clive Sinclair, who had previously developed one of the first
cheap and slim pocket calculators. The Spectrum was Sinclair's fourth computer, but
was by far the most successful.For many people, the ZX Spectrum was their first
experience of using a computer and it soon gained a loyal following. In fact, it would
not be a great exaggeration to credit Clive Sinclair and his ZX Spectrum with almost
single-handedly creating the IT industry in the UK and providing the first learning
tools for the programmers who shape today's video games and information
technology.

Even today, there are programs being written for the Spectrum, though it has not
been made for years.  The computer was so successful that there are many nostalgic
users all over the world, who look back on this machine with great affection.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The ZX Spectrum had an ordinary keyboard.

True

False

Q2 - The computer had a great impact only in the UK.

True

False

Q3 - The impact of the computer is still noticeable today.

True

False

Q4 - Clive Sinclair had not worked in electronics before making the computer.

True

False

Q5 - He only made computers.

True

False
Q6 - A lot of people had not used a computer before they bought the ZX
Spectrum.

True

False

Q7 - The IT industry in the UK owes a lot to Clive Sinclair.

True

False

Q8 - The computer was influential in the area of video games.

True

False

Q9 - People are writing programs for it because the computer is still on the
market.

True

False

Q10 - Many people have fond memories of this computer.

True
Mark Rothko

Mark Rothko, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, was born in
Daugavpils, Latvia in 1903. His father emigrated to the United States, afraid that his
sons would be drafted into the Czarist army. Mark stayed in Russia with his mother
and older sister; they joined the family later, arriving in the winter of 1913, after a
12-day voyage.

Mark moved to New York in the autumn of 1923 and found employment in the
garment trade and took up residence on the Upper West Side. It was while he was
visiting someone at the Art Students League that he saw students sketching a nude
model. According to him, this was the start of his life as an artist. He was twenty
years old and had taken some art lessons at school, so his initial experience was far
from an immediate calling.

In 1936, Mark Rothko began writing a book, which he never completed, about the
similarities in the children's art and the work of modern painters. The work of
modernists, which was influenced by primitive art, could, according to him, be
compared to that of children in that "child art transforms itself into primitivism,
which is only the child producing a mimicry of himself." In this same work, he said
that "the fact that one usually begins with drawing is already academic. We start with
colour."

It was not long before his multiforms developed into the style he is remembered for;
in 1949 Rothko exhibited these new works at the Betty Parsons Gallery. For critic
Harold Rosenberg, the paintings were a revelation. Rothko had, after painting his
first multiform, secluded himself to his home in East Hampton on Long Island, only
inviting a very few people, including Rosenberg, to view the new paintings. The
discovery of his definitive form came at a period of great grief; his mother Kate died
in October 1948 and it was at some point during that winter that Rothko chanced
upon the striking symmetrical rectangular blocks of two to three opposing or
contrasting, yet complementary colours. As part of this new uniformity of artistic
vision, his paintings and drawings no longer had individual titles; from this point on
they were simply untitled, numbered or dated.  However, to assist in distinguishing
one work from another, dealers would sometimes add the primary colours to the
name. Additionally, for the next few years, Rothko painted in oil only on large
vertical canvasses. This was done to overwhelm the viewer, or, in his words, to make
the viewer feel enveloped within the picture.

On February 25, 1970, Oliver Steindecker, Rothko’s assistant, found him in his
kitchen, lying on the floor in front of the sink, covered in blood. His arms had been
cut open with a razor. The emergency doctor arrived on the scene minutes later to
pronounce him dead as the result of suicide; it was discovered during the autopsy that
he had also overdosed on anti-depressants. He was just 66 years old.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Mark Rothko emigrated to the United States

with his father and elder sister.

with his mother and brothers.

with his mother and elder sister.

with all his family.

Q2 - Rothko wanted to be an artist

from his early childhood.

when he joined the Art Students League.

when he watched students drawing.

when he moved to the Upper West Side.

Q3 - Rothko thought that modern art

was primitive.

could be compared to children's pictures.

was already academic.

 was childish.

Q4 - Rothko's distinctive style

was inspired by Rosenberg.

resulted from moving to Long Island.

resulted from his grief.

evolved in 1948.

Q5 - Who named paintings by their colours?

Rosenberg

Rothko

Dealers

Steindecker
The Great Wall of China

Walls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture.
These people, from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the
Neolithic period – when ramparts of pounded earth were used - to the Communist
Revolution, walls were an essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages;
the houses and the temples within them were somehow walled, and the houses also
had no windows overlooking the street, thus giving the feeling of wandering around a
huge maze. The name for “city” in Chinese (ch’eng) means wall, and over these
walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the god of walls and mounts,
whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the
inhabitants. Thus a great and extremely laborious task such as constructing a wall,
which was supposed to run throughout the country, must not have seemed such an
absurdity.

However, it is indeed a common mistake to perceive the Great Wall as a single

architectural structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built
during a single dynasty. For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties,
and each of these dynasties somehow contributed to the refurbishing and the
construction of a wall, whose foundations had been laid many centuries ago. It was
during the fourth and third century B.C. that each warring state started building walls
to protect their kingdoms, both against one another and against the northern nomads.
Especially three of these states: the Ch’in, the Chao and the Yen, corresponding
respectively to the modern provinces of Shensi, Shanzi and Hopei, over and above
building walls that surrounded their kingdoms, also laid the foundations on which
Ch’in Shih Huang Di would build his first continuous Great Wall.

The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an
important one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along the
new border. The garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to plant
crops on it, roads and canals were built, to mention just a few of the works carried
out. All these undertakings greatly helped to increase the country’s trade and cultural
exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern, central and western
parts of Asia – the formation of the Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans, farmers
and peasants left behind a trail of objects, including inscribed tablets, household
articles, and written work, which have become extremely valuable archaeological
evidence to the study of defence institutions of the Great Wall and the everyday life
of these people who lived and died along the wall.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Chinese cities resembled a maze

because they were walled.

because the houses has no external windows.

because the name for cities means 'wall'.

because walls have always been important there.

Q2 - Constructing a wall that ran the length of the country

honoured the god of walls and mounts.

was an absurdly laborious task.

may have made sense within Chinese culture.

made the country look like a huge maze.

Q3 - The Great Wall of China

was built in a single dynasty.

was refurbished in the fourth and third centuries BC.

used existing foundations.

was built by the Ch’in, the Chao and the Yen.

Q4 - Crops were planted

on wasteland.

to reclaim wasteland.

on reclaimed wasteland.

along the canals.

Q5 - The Great Wall

helped build trade only inside China.

helped build trade in China and abroad.

helped build trade only abroad.

helped build trade only to remote areas.

Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be

Both borrowers and lenders in the sub-prime mortgage market are wishing
they had listened to the old saying: neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Last year people with poor credit ratings borrowed $605 billion in mortgages, a
figure that is about 20% of the home-loan market. It includes people who cannot
afford to meet the mortgage payments on expensive homes they have bought, and
low-income buyers. In some cases, the latter could not even meet the first payment.
Lenders include banks like HSBC, which may have lost almost $7 billion.

Both sides can be blamed. Lenders, after the 2-3 percentage point premium they
could charge, offered loans, known as 'liar loans', with no down payments and
without any income verification to people with bad credit histories. They believed
that rising house prices would cover them in the event of default. Borrowers ignored
the fact that interest rates would rise after an initial period.

One result is that default rates on these sub-prime mortgages reached 14% last year-
a record. The problems in this market also threaten to spread to the rest of the
mortgage market, which would reduce the flow of credit available to the shrinking
numbers of consumers still interested in buying property.

So, the housing market will remain weak; borrowers with weak credit histories will
find the credit window closed; people with adjustable-rate mortgages will have to
spend less so they can meet their increased payments; tighter lending standards and
falling home prices will reduce consumers' ability to tap the equity in their homes.

But as long as the labour market remains strong, which it has done despite job losses
in housing-related industries, and as long as real incomes continue to go up,
consumers might complain, but they are unlikely to go on a buyers' strike on a scale
that will make this slowdown become a recession. Therefore, we should not be too
worried, but, at the same time, we should be a bit cautious and watch closely how
things develop.
Comprehension Questions...
Q1 - Sub-prime mortgage loans were offered

only to low income families.

 to people who wanted to by very expensive houses.

to people with poor credit histories.

Q2 - Who believed that rising house prices would cover them in the event of a
default?

Borrowers

Lenders

Both
Q3 - Borrowers have been caught out

because they lied when applying for the loan.

because house prices have risen.

because interest rates rise after a while.

Q4 - According to the text, people with adjustable-rate mortgages

will not be able to get credit.

will have to economise.

have weak credit histories.

Q5 - The housing market problems

could easily tip the counrty in recession.

are unlikely to tip the country into recession.

will cause a buyers' strike.

Q6 - The writer is

a bit concerned about the housing market.

very worried about the housing market.

not worried about the housing market.
The Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by
a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent
the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-
McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it
was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the
sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’.

Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also
ask for books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory
Committee give advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and
selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year
and usually a person is only a judge once.

Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender
and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an
academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However,
when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions
without any further involvement or interference from the prize sponsor.

The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the
consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost
certainly see the sales increase considerably , in addition to the £50,000 that comes
with the prize.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The Republic of Ireland

is in the Commonwealth.

is not in the Commonwealth.

can't enter the Man Booker Prize.

joined the Booker prize in 2002.

Q2 - The Man group

was forced to keep the name 'Booker'.

decided to include the name 'Booker'.

decided to keep the name 'Booker-McConnell'.

decided to use only the name 'Booker'.

Q3 - Books can be submitted

by publishers.

by writers.

by judges.

by the sponsors.

Q4 - Who advises on changes to the rules?

The sponsors

The judging panel

The advisory panel

Publishers

Q5 - The judging panel

doesn't include women.

includes only women.

is only chosen from representatives of the industry.

includes someone from outside the industry.

Q6 - The sponsors of the prize

are involved in choosing the winner.

are involved in choosing the judges.

are not involved at all.

choose the academic for the panel of judges.

Q7 - The consistent quality of the prize

is guaranteed by the prize money.

is guaranteed by the gender of the judges.

is guaranteed by the make-up of the panel of judges.

is guaranteed by the increase in sales of the winner.

The Digital Divide

A recent survey has shown that the number of people in the United Kingdom
who do not intend to get internet access has risen. These people, who are know as
'net refuseniks', make up 44% of UK households, or 11.2 million people in total.

The research also showed that more than 70 percent of these people said that they
were not interested in getting connected to the internet. This number has risen from
just over 50% in 2005, with most giving lack of computer skills as a reason for not
getting internet access, though some also said it was because of the cost.

More and more people are getting broadband and high speed net is available almost
everywhere in the UK, but there are still a significant number of people who refuse to
take the first step.

The cost of getting online is going down and internet speeds are increasing, so
many see the main challenge to be explaining the relevance of the internet to this
group. This would encourage them to get connected before they are left too far
behind. The gap between those who have access to and use the internet is the digital
divide, and if the gap continues to widen, those without access will get left behind
and miss out on many opportunities, especially in their careers.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - More people in the UK do not intend to get internet access than before.

True

False

Q2 - The majority of people in the UK are 'net refuseniks'.

True

False

Q3 - Most of those without internet access want to get it.

True
 False

Q4 - The minority of the people surveyed in 2005 weren't interested in having

internet access.

True

False

Q5 - The main reason for not getting internet access is the cost.

True

False

Q6 - High speed intenet is not available everywhere in the UK.

True

False

Q7 - Both costs and speeds are increasing.

True

False

Q8 - Many people think that getting the costs down is the key to this problem.

True

False

Q9 - The digital divide is widening in the UK.

True

False
Q10 - Not having access to the internet will only affect people's careers.

True

False
UK Record Deficit

The UK's current account 1) __________, a key 2) __________ indicator,

widened to a record level in the three months from July to September, 3)
__________ to official data.   It was £20bn, or 5.7% of gross 4) __________ product,
compared 5) __________ £13.7bn in the 6) __________ three months, the Office for
National Statistics reported.

Analysts also 7) __________ worries about the record level of government 8)

__________. The data is evidence of a "dangerously unbalanced economy",
according to one analyst.  In its monthly report on government financing, the Office
for National Statistics announced that public 9) __________ net borrowing had hit a
record £11.21bn in November.

The borrowing 10) __________ suggested that the government was 11) __________
track to overshoot its pre-Budget report forecast by at least £5bn this year.  "Overall,
a pretty ugly picture, supporting our view that the coming economic 12) __________
will be a prolonged period of adjustment rather than a short pause for breath like that
seen in 2005," the analyst explained.

"What is really shocking about these 13) __________ is that they reveal that the
Exchequer was running a large current deficit before the credit crisis 14) __________
home, when the economy was doing very well and it should have been showing a
large current 15) __________," said Professor Peter Spencer.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 -

deficient

deficiency

deficit

defeat
Q2 -

economic

economical

economics

economist

Q3 -

accordance

according

reference

referring

Q4 -

domestic

domesticate

domestically

domesticity

Q5 -

by

with

for

from
Q6 -

previous

previously

next

coming

Q7 -

spoke

told

voiced

said

Q8 -

borrow

borrowing

lend

lending

Q9 -

area

sector

section

field
Q10 -

numerals

figures

decimals

quantities

Q11 -

in

on

at

by

Q12 -

downslow

slowdown

upturn

turnup

Q13 -

numerals

figures

decimals

quantities
Q14 -

got

reached

hit

beat
Q15 -

deficit

surplus

deficits

surpluses
Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka, who was born in 1934, is a Nigerian writer, poet and
playwright. Many 1) __________ him as Africa's most 2) __________ playwright. 
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, the first African writer to win this
honour.

Soyinka has played an active role in Nigeria's 3) __________ history. In 1967,

during the Civil War in Nigeria,  he was arrested by the Federal Government and put
in solitary 4) __________ for attempting to broker a peace between the warring
parties. While in prison he wrote 5) __________ which was published in a collection.
He was released two years later after international attention was drawn to his 6)
__________. His experiences in prison are recounted in a book.He is an outspoken 7)
__________ of many Nigerian administrations, and of political tyrannies worldwide,
including the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. Much of his 8) __________ has been
concerned with "the 9) __________ boot and the irrelevance of the colour of the foot
that wears it".

1986 was his most glorious year and occurred during the reigns of several violent and
repressive African regimes. The Swedish Academy 10) __________ him the Nobel
Prize for Literature as a writer “who in a wide 11) __________ perspective and with
poetic overtones fashions the drama of 12) __________”. The foremost Nigerian 13)
__________ became the first African Nobel laureate, enshrined forever in the history
of world literature. His Nobel Lecture was devoted to South African freedom-fighter
Nelson Mandela. Soyinka's 14) __________ speech criticised apartheid and the
politics of racial segregation imposed on the population by the Nationalist South
African government. That year brought him another 15) __________ award - the
Agip Prize for Literature - and he was awarded a Nigerian national decoration:
Commander of the Federal Republic.

Comprehension Questions...
Q1

consider
 regard

think

believe

Q2

distinguish

distinguishable

distinguished

distinguishing

Q3

politic

politician

politcally

political

Q4

confinement

confine

confining

configuration

Q5
 poet

poem

poems

poetry

Q6

in prison

imprisonment

jailer

prisoner

Q7

criticise

critisism

critic

criticising

Q8

writings

writer

wright

writing
Q9

oppress

oppressive

oppression

oppresser

Q10

granted

awards

awarded

grants

Q11

culture

cultural

cultured

cultures

Q12

exist

existance

existence
 existential

Q13

dramatic

drama

dramatically

dramatist

Q14

acceptance

accept

accepted

accepting

Q15

literate

literary

literally

literal
Reality Television
Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed,
presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and
features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a
form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in
some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of
popularity dates from around 2000.

Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats,

from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes
produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to
surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.

Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such
shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with
participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act
in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated
through editing and other post-production techniques.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in
extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible
male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to
scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into
national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol,
though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of
celebrity.

Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate
description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based
programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment
shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control
the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world
in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and
use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage
particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other
reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to
describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It
really is unscripted drama."

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because

they agree with the statement.

everyone agrees with the statement.

no one agrees with the statement.

they want to distance themselves from the statement.

Q2 - Reality television has

always been this popular.

has been popular since well before 2000.

has only been popular since 2000.

has been popular since approximately 2000.

Q3 - Japan

is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.

has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.

produced Big Brother.

invented surveillance focused productions.

Q4 - People have criticised reality television because

it is demeaning.
 it uses exotic locations.

the name is inaccurate.

it shows reality.

Q5 - Reality TV appeals to some because

it shows eligible males dating women.

it uses exotic locations.

it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.

it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.

Q6 - Pop Idol

turns all its participants into celebrities.

is more likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.

is less likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.

is a dating show.

Q7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate

for all programs.

just for Big Brother and Survivor.

for talent and performance programs.

for special-living-environment programs.

Q8 - Producers choose the participants

on the ground of talent.

 only for special-living-environment shows.

to create conflict among other things.

to make a fabricated world.

Q9 - Mark Burnett

was a participant on Survivor.

is a critic of reality TV.

thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.

writes the script for Survivor.

Q10 - Shows like Survivor

are definitely reality TV.

are scripted.

have good narratives.

are theatre.
Dirty Britain

Before the grass has thickened on the roadside verges and leaves have started growing on
the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The
pavements are stained with chewing gum that has been spat out and the gutters are full of
discarded fast food cartons. Years ago I remember travelling abroad and being saddened by
the plastic bags, discarded bottles and soiled nappies at the edge of every road. Nowadays,
Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong? The problem is that the rubbish
created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up
and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth for years; a semi-permanent
reminder of what a tatty little country we have now.

Firstly, it is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will
take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However, it is not as if there is no solution to
this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags
and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher
attempted to introduce a similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of
course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw
breath, leaving supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.

What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined initiative, both individual and
collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have
a country that looks like a vast municipal rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point.
Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and
tidy, people behave cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by squalor, they behave
squalidly. Now, much of Britain looks pretty squalid. What will it look like in five years?

Q1 - The writer says that it is a good time to see Britain before the trees have leaves
because

Britain looks perfect.

you can see Britain at its dirtiest.

you can see how dirty Britain is now.

the grass has thickened on the verges.

Q2 - According to the writer, things used to be

worse abroad.
 the same abroad.

better abroad.

worse, but now things are better abroad.

Q3 - For the writer, the problem is that

rubbish is not cleared up.

rubbish last longer than it used to.

our society is increasingly mobile.

Britain is a tatty country.

Q4 - Michael Meacher

followed the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.

tried to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.

made no attempt to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.

had problems with the plastics industry who weren't bothered about the tax.

Q5 - The writer thinks

it is too late to do anything.

we are at the tipping point.

there is no alternative.

we need to work together to solve the problem.

Q6 - The writer thinks that

people are squalid.

people behave according to what they see around them.

people are clean and tidy.

people are like a vast municipal rubbish tip.

Cheating and Plagiarism
Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the University Code of Student
Conduct, as on enrollment with the University  the student has placed themselves under the
policies and regulations of the University and all of its duly constituted bodies. Disciplinary
authority is exercised through the Student Conduct Committee. The Committee has
procedures in place for hearing allegations of misconduct. Copies of the student conduct
code are available at the Student Services Office.
Academic dishonesty is never condoned by the University. This includes cheating and
plagiarism, which violate the Student Conduct Code and could result in expulsion or failing
the course.
Cheating includes but is not limited to obtaining or giving unauthorized help during an
examination, getting unauthorized information about the contents of an examination before
it is administered, using unauthorised sources of information during an examination,
altering or falsifying the record of any grades, altering or supplying answers after an
examination has been handed in, falsifying any official University record, and
misrepresenting the facts to get exemptions from or extensions to course requirements.
Plagiarism includes but is not limited to submitting any paper or other document, to satisfy
an academic requirement, which has been copied either in whole or in part from someone
else’s work without identifying that person; failing to identify as a quotation a documented
idea that has not been thoroughly assimilated into the student's language and style, or
paraphrasing a passage so closely that the reader could be misled as to the source;
submitting the same written or oral material in different courses without
obtaining authorisation from the lecturers involved; or 'dry-labbing', which includes
obtaining and using experimental data from fellow students without the express consent of
the lecturer, utilizing experimental data and laboratory write-ups from other parts of the
course or from previous terms during which the course was conducted, and fabricating data
to fit the expected results.
Q1 - The Student Services Office familiarises students with the student code.

True

False

Not given
Q2 - Cheats will automatically be expelled because their behaviour cannot be
condoned.

True
 False

Not given
Q3 - The text lists all activities that are considered to be cheating.

True

False

Not given
Q4 - According to the text, cheating is a more serious offence than plagiarism.

True

False

Not given
Q5 - It is never acceptable to paraphrase closely.

True

False

Not given
Q6 - Students can submit the same work in different courses as long as they ask their
lecturer and it is not their own.

True

False

Not given
Q7 - If students want to use other students' laboratory data, they must ask them and
the lecturer first.

True

False

Not given
Q8 - Data must fit the expected results.

True

False

Not given
Gender bias and poverty

1) __________ between men and women results in poorer health for children and greater 2)
__________ for the family, 3) __________ to a new study. The UN agency Unicef found
that in places where women are 4) __________ from family decisions, children are more
likely to suffer from 5) __________. There would be 13 million 6)
__________ malnourished children in South Asia if women had an equal say in the family,
Unicef said.

Unicef 7) __________ family decision-making in 30 countries 8) __________ the world.

Their chief finding is that equality between men and women is vital to 9)
__________ poverty and improving health, especially that of children, in developing
countries. The conclusions are contained in the agency's latest report. This report 10)
__________ to a greater 11) __________ of opportunities for girls and women in education
and work which contributes to disempowerment and poverty. Where men control the
household, less money is spent on health care and food for the family, which 12)
__________ in poorer health for the children.

An increase in 13) __________ and income-earning opportunities for women would

increase their 14) __________ power, the report said. For example, the agency found
that 15) __________ has the greater share of household income and assets decides whether
those resources will be used for family needs. 

Q1

Unequal

Inequal

Unequality

Inequality

Q2

poor

poorness

poverty
 impoverished

Q3

resulting

according

regarding

with regard

Q4

excluded

exclude

exclusion

excludes

Q5

ill-nourished

malnourish

malnutrition

ill-nutrition

Q6

more
 few

fewer

least

Q7

survey

surveying

surveys

surveyed

Q8

in

around

over

among

Q9

increase

reduce

increasing

reducing

Q10

points
 indicates

shows

suggests

Q11

lack

lacking

lacks

lacky

Q12

leads

result

lead

results

Q13

employ

employment

employee

employed

Q14

house

householder
 household

home

Q15

whatever

whoever

whichever

however
HIV Breakthrough

Scientists believe that they have made a 1) __________ breakthrough in fighting HIV- they
have shown what happens when an infection-fighting antibody attacks a 2) __________ in
HIV's 3) __________ defences.  Finding a vaccine against HIV has been very difficult
because the proteins on the surface of the virus are continually mutating, but they have
shown an antibody, called b12, attacking a weak spot of the virus where the protein is 4)
__________.  The virus is able to 5) __________ rapidly to avoid 6) __________ by the
immune system, and is also covered in sugary molecules which block access by
antibodies.  7) __________, certain parts of the virus must remain 8)
__________ unchanged so that it can catch hold of and enter human cells.  One protein that
sticks out from the surface of the virus and binds to receptors on host cells is one such
region, which makes it a target for vaccine development.

Previous analyses of the 9) __________ of people that have been able to keep HIV from
developing into AIDS for long periods of time 10) __________ revealed a 11)
__________ group of antibodies - including b12 - that seem to fight HIV with some degree
of 12) __________.  The latest study showed how the antibody and 13) __________ protein
interact.  Scientists hope that revealing the 14) __________ of this bond in such 15)
__________ detail will provide clues about how best to attack HIV.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1

majority

major

solution

final

Q2

gap

space

line
 shape

Q3

consider

considerate

considerably

considerable

Q4

stable

instability

unstable

stability

Q5

mutation

mutant

mutate

mutating

Q6

detective

detect

detecting
 detection

Q7

Though

However

Also

Even though

Q8

relatively

relative

relatives

relation

Q9

bleed

bleeding

blood

bloody

Q10

was

has
 have

were

Q11

seldom

rare

rarely

occasional

Q12

succeed

successful

successfully

success
Q13

the

these

----
Q14

stricture

structure

blueprint
 plan
Q15

precise

precision

exacting

quite
The Great Wall of China

Walls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture. These people,
from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the Neolithic period –
when ramparts of pounded earth were used - to the Communist Revolution, walls were an
essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages; the houses and the temples within
them were somehow walled, and the houses also had no windows overlooking the street,
thus giving the feeling of wandering around a huge maze. The name for “city” in Chinese
(ch’eng) means wall, and over these walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the
god of walls and mounts, whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for
the welfare of the inhabitants. Thus a great and extremely laborious task such as
constructing a wall, which was supposed to run throughout the country, must not have
seemed such an absurdity.

However, it is indeed a common mistake to perceive the Great Wall as a single architectural
structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built during a single dynasty.
For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties, and each of these dynasties
somehow contributed to the refurbishing and the construction of a wall, whose foundations
had been laid many centuries ago. It was during the fourth and third century B.C. that each
warring state started building walls to protect their kingdoms, both against one another and
against the northern nomads. Especially three of these states: the Ch’in, the Chao and the
Yen, corresponding respectively to the modern provinces of Shensi, Shanzi and Hopei, over
and above building walls that surrounded their kingdoms, also laid the foundations on
which Ch’in Shih Huang Di would build his first continuous Great Wall.

The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an important
one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along the new border. The
garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to plant crops on it, roads and
canals were built, to mention just a few of the works carried out. All these undertakings
greatly helped to increase the country’s trade and cultural exchanges with many remote
areas and also with the southern, central and western parts of Asia – the formation of the
Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans, farmers and peasants left behind a trail of objects,
including inscribed tablets, household articles, and written work, which have become
extremely valuable archaeological evidence to the study of defence institutions of the Great
Wall and the everyday life of these people who lived and died along the wall.

Comprehension Questions...
Q1 - Chinese cities resembled a maze

because they were walled.

because the houses has no external windows.

because the name for cities means 'wall'.

because walls have always been important there.

Q2 - Constructing a wall that ran the length of the country

honoured the god of walls and mounts.

was an absurdly laborious task.

may have made sense within Chinese culture.

made the country look like a huge maze.

Q3 - The Great Wall of China

was built in a single dynasty.

was refurbished in the fourth and third centuries BC.

used existing foundations.

was built by the Ch’in, the Chao and the Yen.

Q4 - Crops were planted

on wasteland.

to reclaim wasteland.

on reclaimed wasteland.

along the canals.

Q5 - The Great Wall

helped build trade only inside China.

helped build trade in China and abroad.

helped build trade only abroad.

helped build trade only to remote areas.

English as a National Foreign Language

India has two national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English.
Hindi is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an associate
official language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves twenty-two regional
languages for official purposes.

Dozens of distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which share many
characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these languages,
Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is mainly in the north of
India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the southern
states of India, where people speak many different languages that are not much related to
Hindi, there is more resistance to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a lingua
franca to a greater degree.

Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a toehold on the Indian subcontinent,
when the East India Company established settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai,
formerly Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is
never far away from everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English
than any other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms,
grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and culture.

In India, English serves two purposes. First, it provides a linguistic tool for the
administrative cohesiveness of the country, causing people who speak different languages
to become united. Secondly, it serves as a language of wider communication, including a
large variety of different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in
certain spheres of influence and in public domains.

Generally, English is used among Indians as a ‘link’ language and it is the first language for
many well-educated Indians. It is also the second language for many who speak more than
one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of
our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge between the major countries of the world
and India.

English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament,
judiciary, broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a Hindi-
speaking teacher giving their students instructions during an educational tour about where
to meet and when their bus would leave, but all in English. It means that the language
permeates daily life. It is unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities.
The importance of the ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly
because English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become
popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for internet
communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a standard not
because it has been approved by any ‘standards’ organization but because it is widely used
by many information and technology industries and recognized as being standard. The call
centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge expansion of internet-related activity,
establishing the future of India as a cyber-technological super-power. Modern
communications, videos, journals and newspapers on the internet use English and have
made ‘knowing English’ indispensable.

The prevailing view seems to be that unless students learn English, they can only work in
limited jobs. Those who do not have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality
jobs. They cannot communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of
India’s rich social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret
instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help with their
children’s school homework everyday or decide their revenue options of the future.

A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people

into Indian society. There would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community
about the importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen of
the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It has been used as a
medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting both before and since India’s
independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The
impact of English is not only continuing but increasing. 

Q1 - According to the writer, the Indian constitution recognises

22 official languages.

Hindi as the national language.

2 national, official languages.

2 national languages.

Q2 - English's status as a lingua franca is helped by

its status in northern India.

 the fact that it is widely understood in urban centres.

the fact that people from the south speak languages not much related to Hindi.

it shares many grammatical similarities with Hindi.

Q3 - In paragraph 3, 'toehold' means that English

dominated India.

changed the names of some cities in India.

has had a presence in India.

has been in India longer than any other language.

Q4 - Hindi-speaking teachers

might well be heard using English.

only use English.

only use English for instructions.

do not use English.

Q5 - In paragraph eight, it says 'the prevailing view', which suggests that

the view is correct.

the view is held by the majority.

the view is incorrect.

the view is held by the minority.

Q6 - English in India

is going to decrease.

has decreased since independence.

causes disagreement.

is going to have a greater importance.

Mark Rothko

Mark Rothko, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, was born in Daugavpils,
Latvia in 1903. His father emigrated to the United States, afraid that his sons would be
drafted into the Czarist army. Mark stayed in Russia with his mother and older sister; they
joined the family later, arriving in the winter of 1913, after a 12-day voyage.

Mark moved to New York in the autumn of 1923 and found employment in the garment
trade and took up residence on the Upper West Side. It was while he was visiting someone
at the Art Students League that he saw students sketching a nude model. According to him,
this was the start of his life as an artist. He was twenty years old and had taken some art
lessons at school, so his initial experience was far from an immediate calling.

In 1936, Mark Rothko began writing a book, which he never completed, about the
similarities in the children's art and the work of modern painters. The work of modernists,
which was influenced by primitive art, could, according to him, be compared to that of
children in that "child art transforms itself into primitivism, which is only the child
producing a mimicry of himself." In this same work, he said that "the fact that one usually
begins with drawing is already academic. We start with colour."

It was not long before his multiforms developed into the style he is remembered for; in
1949 Rothko exhibited these new works at the Betty Parsons Gallery. For critic Harold
Rosenberg, the paintings were a revelation. Rothko had, after painting his first multiform,
secluded himself to his home in East Hampton on Long Island, only inviting a very few
people, including Rosenberg, to view the new paintings. The discovery of his definitive
form came at a period of great grief; his mother Kate died in October 1948 and it was at
some point during that winter that Rothko chanced upon the striking symmetrical
rectangular blocks of two to three opposing or contrasting, yet complementary colours. As
part of this new uniformity of artistic vision, his paintings and drawings no longer had
individual titles; from this point on they were simply untitled, numbered or dated. 
However, to assist in distinguishing one work from another, dealers would sometimes add
the primary colours to the name. Additionally, for the next few years, Rothko painted in oil
only on large vertical canvasses. This was done to overwhelm the viewer, or, in his words,
to make the viewer feel enveloped within the picture.

On February 25, 1970, Oliver Steindecker, Rothko’s assistant, found him in his kitchen,
lying on the floor in front of the sink, covered in blood. His arms had been cut open with a
razor. The emergency doctor arrived on the scene minutes later to pronounce him dead as
the result of suicide; it was discovered during the autopsy that he had also overdosed on
anti-depressants. He was just 66 years old.
Q1 - Mark Rothko emigrated to the United States

with his father and elder sister.

with his mother and brothers.

with his mother and elder sister.

with all his family.

Q2 - Rothko wanted to be an artist

from his early childhood.

when he joined the Art Students League.

when he watched students drawing.

when he moved to the Upper West Side.

Q3 - Rothko thought that modern art

was primitive.

could be compared to children's pictures.

was already academic.

was childish.
Q4 - Rothko's distinctive style

was inspired by Rosenberg.

resulted from moving to Long Island.

resulted from his grief.

evolved in 1948.
Q5 - Who named paintings by their colours?

Rosenberg
Rothko

Dealers

Steindecker
The First Computer Programmer

Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron. She was taught by Mary
Somerville, a well-known researcher and scientific author, who introduced her to Charles
Babbage in June 1833. Babbage was an English mathematician, who first had the idea for a
programmable computer.

In 1842 and 1843, Ada translated the work of an Italian mathematician, Luigi Menabrea, on
Babbage's Analytical Engine. Though mechanical, this machine was an important step in
the history of computers; it was the design of a mechanical general-purpose computer.
Babbage worked on it for many years until his death in 1871. However, because of
financial, political, and legal issues, the engine was never built. The design of the machine
was very modern; it anticipated the first completed general-purpose computers by about 100
years.

When Ada translated the article, she added a set of notes which specified in complete detail
a method for calculating certain numbers with the Analytical Engine, which have since been
recognized by historians as the world's first computer program. She also saw possibilities in
it that Babbage hadn't: she realised that the machine could compose pieces of music. The
computer programming language 'Ada', used in some aviation and military programs, is
named after her.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Ada Lovelace's teacher introduced her to Charles Babbage.

True

False

Q2 - Babbage programmed the first computer.

True

False

Q3 - Ada translated the article in 1842.

True

False
Q4 - The Analytical Engine was electronic.

True

False

Q5 - Luigi Menabrea designed the first computer.

True

False

Q6 - Babbage finished the machine before he died.

True

False

Q7 - Babbage's design was ahead of its time.

True

False

Q8 - Ada's work was instantly recognised as being the first computer program.

True

False

Q9 - Babbage saw that his machine could write music.

True

False

Q10 - Ada wrote military and aviation computer programs.

True

False
Airbus crisis over

Airbus says it has turned the corner after a crisis connected to production problems and
turmoil in the boardroom at its A380 super-jumbo project that has gone on for the past year.
Speaking at the Paris air show, Louis Gallois, CEO of the European planemaker, said,
"Airbus is back."

Airbus, which announced a raft of orders on the first day of the show, is competing with
Boeing, its American rival, for the title of the largest planemaker in the world.

Boeing is expected to reveal the numbers of orders for its 787 Dreamliner soon. Airbus
orders unveiled on Monday included Qatar Airways confirming a $16bn order for 80 A350
Airbus planes and ordering three A380 super-jumbos for about $750m.

Boeing and Airbus are also competing for orders from aircraft leasing firms. Orders from
these companies - who rank highly among the biggest global buyers of aircraft - are often
regarded as an indication of how successful a model will be in the long term.
Airbus also secured orders from US Airways that are worth $10bn for 22 of its A350 jets,
60 A320s and ten of its A330-200 wide-body planes.

A few months ago, Airbus unveiled a major cost-cutting programme aiming to reduce the
workforce in Europe by 10,000, as well as announcing a group restructuring. "I can tell you
with full confidence that Airbus is back and fully back, as you have started noting yesterday
as demonstrated by our first day announcements," said Mr Gallois on the second day of the
air show.

However, Boeing also announced a deal with General Electric (GE) on the show's first day.
GE's commercial aviation services placed an order for six 777 Boeing freighters valued at
around $1.4bn, to be delivered in the last quarter of 2008.

A Wall Street Journal website report, quoting the Delta operating chief yesterday said that
Delta Air Lines were on the verge of ordering as many as 125 Boeing 787 jetliners by the
end of this year. However, a spokesman for Delta later said that it had been having
conversations "with several aircraft makers" and that "no final decision" had been made on
future fleet purchases.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The problems at Airbus

have been resolved completely.

are well on their way to being sorted out.

 are far from resolved.

Q2 - Airbus announced

a large number of orders on the first day of the show.

some orders on the first day of the show.

a few orders on the first day of the show.

Q3 - Qatar Airways ordered

83 planes on Monday.

80 planes on Monday.

3 planes on Monday.

Q4 - US Airways

placed an order for the new super-jumbo.

didn't place an order for the new super-jumbo.

may have placed an order for the new super-jumbo.

Q5 - Boeing

announced sales of the Dreamliner.

may sell some Dreamliners to General Electric.

may sell some Dreamliners to Delta Air Lines.

Q6 - The Wall Street Journal website report

was definitely correct.

was possibly correct.

was definitely wrong.

Visit Angkor Wat

Siem Reap is a small town near the world famous temple of Angkor Wat. The town is
charming and worth exploring, with some fine examples of Khmer and French colonial
architecture set among the more modern developments. Nowadays, visitors are flocking in,
using it as a base for visits to the nearby temples.

A Carved City

From the 9th to the 14th centuries, when Europe was still struggling out of the Dark Ages,
the Cambodian Empire of Angkor covered most of present-day Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,
and Thailand. The heart of this empire during the 12th century was the ancient capital of
Angkor Thom, near present day Siem Reap, the site of the world’s largest temple
complexes, which were rediscovered in 1861.This spectacular city was built over 30 years
under the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The area covers about 400 square
kilometres and is full of the finest examples of Khmer art and architecture. Tourists are
always amazed at the scale of the place.

In Angkor Wat you will find more than 100 stone monuments and temple buildings, each of
which contains countless statues, sculptures and reliefs that have weathered extremely little
over the last 800 years. To see the whole thing can take several days. The most important
temples to visit in the area are Angkor Wat, especially at sunrise or sunset; Angkor Thom,
the remains of the capital; Ta Prohm, a palace overgrown by jungle; and Bayon.

Getting a visa

Visas are required to enter Cambodia. You can obtain one on arrival at Siem Reap
International Airport for $20, and 1 passport photo is required per person. You will also
need another passport photo for the Angkor Temple Entrance Pass. Please ensure you take
comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and plenty of water to drink as it is very hot there.
The most commonly accepted currency in Cambodia is the US dollar.

Q1 - Most people visit Siem Reap because of the temples in the area.

True

False

Q2 - In the 9th to the 14th centuries, Europe was more advanced than Cambodia.

True

False
Q3 - Angkor Wat was the capital of the Cambodian empire.

True

False

Q4 - It took many decades to build the capital.

True

False

Q5 - The stonework of Angkor Wat is in poor condition today.

True

False

Q6 - It'll take a couple of days to see everything.

True

False

Q7 - Dawn and dusk are particularly good times to visit Angkor Wat.

True

False

Q8 - You must get a visa before flying to Siem Reap.

True

False

Q9 - You will need a couple of passport photos.

True

False
Q10 - The US dollar is widely accepted in Cambodia.

True

False
Biofuels and the Environment

Leading investors have joined the growing chorus of concern about governments and
companies rushing into producing biofuels as a solution for global warming, saying that
many involved in the sector could be jeopardising future profits if they do not consider the
long-term impact of what they are doing carefully.
It is essential to build sustainability criteria into the supply chain of any green fuel project in
order to ensure that there is no adverse effect on the surrounding environment and social
structures. The report produced by the investors expresses concern that many companies
may not be fully aware of the potential pitfalls in the biofuel sector.

Production of corn and soya beans has increased dramatically in the last years as an eco-
friendly alternative to fossil fuels but environmental and human rights campaigners are
worried that this will lead to destruction of rain forests. Food prices could also go up as
there is increased competition for crops as both foodstuffs and sources of fuel. Last week,
the UN warned that biofuels could have dangerous side effects and said that steps need to
be taken to make sure that land converted to grow biofuels does not damage the
environment or cause civil unrest. There is already great concern about palm oil, which is
used in many foods in addition to being an important biofuel, as rain forests are being
cleared in some countries and people driven from their homes to create palm oil plantations.

An analyst and author of the investors' report says that biofuels are not a cure for climate
change but they can play their part as long as governments and companies manage the
social and environmental impacts thoroughly. There should also be greater measure taken to
increase efficiency and to reduce demand.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - ____ are worried about the boom in biofuels.

Few people

Many people

Only these leading investors

Q2 - Biofuel producers ____ know about the possible problems.

do not

might not
 must not

Q3 - Environmentalists believe that increased production of corn and soya

has destroyed rain forests.

may lead to the destruction of rain forests.

will lead to the destruction of rain forests.

Q4 - Biofuels might

drive food prices up.

drive food prices down.

have little or no impact on food prices.

Q5 - The increased production of palm oil

just affects the environment.

just affects people.

affects both people and the environment.

Q6 - The author of the report says that biofuels

have no role to play in fighting global warming.

can be effective in fighting global warming on their own.

should be part of a group of measures to fight global warming.

Bully for you

The makers of a controversial computer game about bullying have decided to go ahead and
launch it despite calls for it to be banned. In the game, players take on the role of a new
students at a school and have to fight the bullies, by punching them or hitting them with a
baseball bat.

Critics have said that the game encourages violence, but the makers deny this and say that,
while there is violence in the game, it is just an amusing look at school life, besides which,
the violence in the game is directed against the bullies to protect pupils who are being
bullied. The makers also say that players will learn to stand up to bullies.

A British politician, a former minister, has called for it to be banned as it might affect the
way young people perceive violence.

Anti-bullying charities have said that the game might make people respond violently to
bullies, which might make things more complicated and result in injuries.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The makers of the computer game decided not to release it.

True

False

Q2 - In the game, the player takes on the role of a bully.

True

False

Q3 - The game is set in a university.

True

False

Q4 - Everyone agrees that the game encourages violence.

True

False
Q5 - A British politician has spoken in favour of the game.

True

False

Q6 - The politician used to be a minister.

True

False

Q7 - The politician thinks it might make young people look at violence differently.

True

False

Q8 - The anti-bullying charity thinks the game is good because it might make pupils
stand up to bullies.

True

False

Q9 - The anti-bullying charity thinks that people might get hurt because of this game.

True

False

Q10 - The makers of the game have changed the contents before releasing it in the UK.

True

False
Child Labour

Child workers, some as young as 10, have been found working in a textile 1)
__________ in conditions described as close to slavery to produce clothes that appear
destined for one the major high street 2) __________.

Speaking to a British newspaper, the children described long hours of 3) __________ work
and threats and beatings. The company said it was unaware that clothing intended for its 4)
__________ had been improperly 5) __________ to a 6) __________ that used child
labour. It further announced it had withdrawn the garments involved until it had
investigated the alleged 7) __________ of the 8) __________ code it imposed on
manufacturers three years ago.

The discovery of these children working in appalling conditions in the Shahpur Jat area of
Delhi has renewed concerns about the 9) __________ by some large retail chains of
their 10) __________ production to India, recognised by the United Nations as one of the
worlds's hotspots for child labour. According 11) __________ one 12) __________, over
20 per cent of India's economy is 13) __________ on children, which comes to a total of 55
million youngsters under 14 working.

14) __________ in the West should not only be demanding answers from retailers about
how their 15) __________ are produced but also should be looking into their consciences at
how they spend their money and whether cheap prices in the West are worth the suffering
caused to so many children.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 -

facility

factory

office

bureau

Q2 -

warehouse

retailer
 warehouses

retailers

Q3 -

inpaid

unpaid

without pay

without payment

Q4 -

warehouses

stores

outlet

branch

Q5 -

outsource

outsourcing

outsources

outsourced

Q6 -

association

sweatshop

closed shop
 retailer

Q7 -

breaches

errors

mistakes

wrongdoings

Q8 -

ethic

ethnic

ethical

ethnical

Q9 -

outsource

outsourcing

outsources

outsourced

Q10 -

garment

raiment

garments

raiments
Q11 -

by

to

of

from

Q12 -

estimate

estimating

estimates

estimated

Q13 -

depends

dependent

dependant

dependence

Q14 -

Consume

Consumption

Consumer

Consumers
Q15 -

stuff

ware

goods

garment
Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be

Both borrowers and lenders in the sub-prime mortgage market are wishing they had listened
to the old saying: neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Last year people with poor credit ratings borrowed $605 billion in mortgages, a figure that
is about 20% of the home-loan market. It includes people who cannot afford to meet the
mortgage payments on expensive homes they have bought, and low-income buyers. In some
cases, the latter could not even meet the first payment. Lenders include banks like HSBC,
which may have lost almost $7 billion.

Both sides can be blamed. Lenders, after the 2-3 percentage point premium they could
charge, offered loans, known as 'liar loans', with no down payments and without any
income verification to people with bad credit histories. They believed that rising house
prices would cover them in the event of default. Borrowers ignored the fact that interest
rates would rise after an initial period.

One result is that default rates on these sub-prime mortgages reached 14% last year- a
record. The problems in this market also threaten to spread to the rest of the mortgage
market, which would reduce the flow of credit available to the shrinking numbers of
consumers still interested in buying property.

So, the housing market will remain weak; borrowers with weak credit histories will find the
credit window closed; people with adjustable-rate mortgages will have to spend less so they
can meet their increased payments; tighter lending standards and falling home prices will
reduce consumers' ability to tap the equity in their homes.

But as long as the labour market remains strong, which it has done despite job losses in
housing-related industries, and as long as real incomes continue to go up, consumers might
complain, but they are unlikely to go on a buyers' strike on a scale that will make this
slowdown become a recession.Therefore, we should not be too worried, but, at the same
time, we should be a bit cautious and watch closely how things develop.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Sub-prime mortgage loans were offered

only to low income families.

to people who wanted to by very expensive houses.

to people with poor credit histories.

Q2 - Who believed that rising house prices would cover them in the event of a default?

Borrowers

Lenders

Both

Q3 - Borrowers have been caught out

because they lied when applying for the loan.

because house prices have risen.

because interest rates rise after a while.

Q4 - According to the text, people with adjustable-rate mortgages

will not be able to get credit.

will have to economise.

have weak credit histories.

Q5 - The housing market problems

could easily tip the counrty in recession.

are unlikely to tip the country into recession.

will cause a buyers' strike.

Q6 - The writer is

a bit concerned about the housing market.

very worried about the housing market.

not worried about the housing market.

Papua New Guinea Reconciliation

In Papua New Guinea, the descendants of cannibals who killed and ate four Fijian
missionaries in 1878 have apologised for their ancestors' actions. They held a reconciliation
ceremony, which was attended by thousands of people, in the East New Britain province
where they were killed.

The missionaries were part of a group of Methodist ministers and teachers who arrived in
1875 to spread Christianity. The murders three years later, by Tolai tribespeople on the
Gazelle Peninsula, triggered angry reprisals. The English pastor who was head of the
mission, George Brown, avenged the killings by taking part in an expedition that resulted in
the deaths of a number of tribespeople and the burning of several villages.
Candles were lit in memory of the four. Fiji's High Commissioner in Papua New Guinea,
Ratu Isoa Tikoca, accepted the apologies on behalf of the descendants."We at this juncture
are deeply touched and wish you the greatest joy of forgiveness as we finally end this
record disagreement," he said.
The Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane praised the early missionaries for making the
country Christian and called for more people to follow the guiding principles of the
religion.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The descendants of the cannibals are sorry about what happened.

True

False

Q2 - Few people attended the ceremony.

True

False

Q3 - The ceremony was held in the UK.

True

False

Q4 - The missionaries were killed very soon after they arrived.

True
 False

Q5 - No one was punished for the killings.

True

False

Q6 - The Fijian representative attended.

True

False

Q7 - Ratu Isoa Tikoca was not moved by the ceremony.

True

False

Q8 - Candles were lit to remember the missionaries.

True

False

Q9 - Sir Paulias Matane resents the work of the early missionaries.

True

False

Q10 - Sir Paulias Matane wishes that more people had religious principles.

True

False
Bottom of Form

Piranhas

Scientists in the UK have announced that the piranha fish's reputation 1) __________ a
fearsome 2) __________ may well not be deserved. The fish, which is found in the Amazon
in Brazil, have been portrayed as deadly 3) __________ that work in shoals to overwhelm
their prey and strip it of its flesh in seconds.
However, 4) __________ from St Andrews University say that piranhas are omnivores that
mainly eat fish, plants and insects. They form big groups not to hunt but to defend 5)
__________ against other predators, according to the team.
"Previously it was thought piranhas shoaled as it 6) __________ them to form a cooperative
hunting group," said Professor Anne Magurran. "However, we have found that it is
primarily a defensive 7) __________."
Piranhas can be attacked by animals 8) __________ dolphins, caimans and large fish, so
forming a shoal is a good way of 9) __________ being killed. Piranhas of 10)
__________ age stay in the middle of the group for 11) __________ and the 12)
__________ of the shoal 13) __________ according to the level of 14) __________. When
the water level is high, the fish form small groups as there is space to escape, but when the
water level drops, they form large groups as protection against 15) __________.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1

as

as if

as though

since

Q2

kill

killer

murderer
 murder

Q3

carnivore

carnivorous

carnivors

carnivores

Q4

expert

expertise

experts

expectant

Q5

them

themselves

it

itself

Q6

able

ables

enable
 enabled

Q7

behave

behaviour

misbehaviour

misbehaviours

Q8

such

as

like

as such

Q9

prevent

preventing

avoid

avoiding

Q10

reproduce

reproductive

reproduction

reproductively
Q11

protection

protecting

protect

protective

Q12

rate

size

amount

dearth

Q13

different

differ

differs

defer

Q14

risk

fate

destiny

chance

Q15
predator

predators

predatory

predate
Reality Television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents

unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary
people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or
"heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since
the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.

Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or
quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in
the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism-
focused productions such as Big Brother.
Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows
frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in
exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-
screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-
production techniques.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in
extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male
dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales.
Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities,
outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor
and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.
Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description
for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as
Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real
World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities
and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays
out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios,
challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark
Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and
avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is
not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because

they agree with the statement.

 everyone agrees with the statement.

no one agrees with the statement.

they want to distance themselves from the statement.

Q2 - Reality television has

always been this popular.

has been popular since well before 2000.

has only been popular since 2000.

has been popular since approximately 2000.

Q3 - Japan

is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.

has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.

produced Big Brother.

invented surveillance focused productions.

Q4 - People have criticised reality television because

it is demeaning.

it uses exotic locations.

the name is inaccurate.

it shows reality.
Q5 - Reality TV appeals to some because

it shows eligible males dating women.

it uses exotic locations.

it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.

 it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.
Q6 - Pop Idol

turns all its participants into celebrities.

is more likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.

is less likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.

is a dating show.
Q7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate

for all programs.

just for Big Brother and Survivor.

for talent and performance programs.

for special-living-environment programs.

Q8 - Producers choose the participants

on the ground of talent.

only for special-living-environment shows.

to create conflict among other things.

to make a fabricated world.

Q9 - Mark Burnett

was a participant on Survivor.

is a critic of reality TV.

thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.

writes the script for Survivor.

Q10 - Shows like Survivor

are definitely reality TV.

are scripted.

have good narratives.

are theatre.
Scottish Independence

The majority of people in Scotland are in favour breaking away from the rest of the UK and
becoming independent, according to a poll taken just before the 300th anniversary of the
Act of Union, which united Scotland and England.

A pair of Acts of Parliament, passed in 1706 and 1707 that came into effect on May 1,
1707, created Great Britain. The parliaments of both countries were dissolved, and replaced
by a new Parliament of Great Britain in Westminster, London.

The poll showed support for independence for Scotland is running at 51%. This is the first
time since 1998 that support for separation has passed 50%, and the first time since
devolution gave power to the country in 1999. Six months before elections for the Scottish
Parliament, these poll results come as good news to the Scottish Nationalist Party, who are
hoping to make progress against Labour and further the cause of an independent Scotland.

Many people have become disillusioned with devolution, and believe that the Scottish
Parliament has failed to deliver what they had hoped it would; only a tenth have no opinion.
In fact, only 39% of those polled want to keep things as they are.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Scotland and England

have always been united.

want to break up the union.

have been united for a long time.

were united by war.

Q2 - Great Britain

was formed by an Act of Parliament in 1706.

was formed by two Acts of Parliament in 1707.

was formed by an Act of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.

was formed by Acts of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.
Q3 - People who want indepence for Scotland

are the vast majority.

are in the minority.

are the slight majority.

have decreased in number since devolution.

Q4 - The majority of people wanted independence for the first time

before devolution.

in 1999.

after devolution.

before and after independence.

Q5 - The results of the poll are good news

for Labour.

for both parties.

for the Scottish Nationalist Party.

for devolution.
Q6 - Most people's opinions of devolution

have gone up.

have gone down.

are the same.

make progress against Labour.

Q7 - The number of people who want to keep things as they are

is greater than those that don't know.

is smaller than those that don't know.

is increasing.

is the majority.
Shambo
Shambo, the bull at the centre of a three-month legal fight, has been killed. After a positive
test for TB, an order was made for his slaughter, in keeping with the law. However, the
multi-faith community where he lived went to court to try to save him as he was a sacred
animal to Hindus.
A High Court judge said that the order to kill him was unlawful, but the decision was
overturned in the Appeal Court. Police had to be called in as worshippers had formed a
human shield around the animal to stop him being taken away. Opinion is very divided on
the issue- some believe that he was a danger to the national herd and needed to be killed,
while others feel that religious beliefs should be respected and the community had offered
to provide sufficient measures to ensure that he would not infect any other animals if he
contracted the disease as they planned to isolate him. The authorities cut through the
security fence and led the bull away. The following morning they announced that he had
been given a lethal injection.

The debate on the issue is unlikely to end with the death of Shambo and may widen into a
debate about the policy of killing cows that test positive for TB.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - Shambo lived in a religious community.

True

False

Q2 - The community did not do much to try to save him.

True

False

Q3 - The case went to more than one court.

True

False

Q4 - Police went in because there were violent protests.

True
 False

Q5 - Everybody feels that he needed to be killed.

True

False

Q6 - The community wanted Shambo to mix with other animals despite the TB test.

True

False

Q7 - Shambo was definitely ill with TB.

True

False

Q8 - The authorities entered the place where Shambo was kept without any problems.

True

False

Q9 - Shambo was shot dead.

True

False

Q10 - From now on, no cows that test positive will be killed.

True

False
Bottom of Form

The Banker to the Poor

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. 1) __________ a professor of

economics, he is most famous for his successful application of the concept of microcredit,
the 2) __________ of small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank
loans. He is the 3) __________ of Grameen Bank, and he and the bank were 4)
__________ awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social
development among the poor.

During visits to the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University,
Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a 5) __________ difference to a poor
person. Jobra women who made bamboo furniture had to take out usurious loans to buy the
bamboo. He made a loan of USD 27.00 from his 6) __________ pocket to 42 women in the
village, who made a net profit of USD 0.02 each on the loan.Yunus believed that if given
the chance the poor would repay the 7) __________ money and hence microcredit could be
a 8) __________ business 9) __________.  He  eventually managed to 10) __________ a
loan from the Janata Bank to lend it to the poor in Jobra in December 1976.
By July 2007, the Grameen Bank had 11) __________ USD 6.38 billion to 7.4 million
borrowers. To ensure repayment, the bank uses a system of solidarity groups. These small
informal groups apply together for loans and its members act as co-guarantors of repayment
and support each other's efforts at economic 12) __________.
The 13) __________ of the Grameen model of microfinancing has inspired similar efforts
in many countries throughout the developing world, and even in industrialised nations,
including the USA. Many, but not all, microcredit projects also retain his emphasis on
lending specifically to women. More than 94% of Grameen loans have 14) __________ to
women, who suffer disproportionately from 15) __________ and who are more likely than
men to devote their earnings to their families.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 -

Former

Formerly

Ex-

The former
Q2 -

extend

extent

extension

extends

Q3 -

finder

founder

foundation

findings

Q4 -

joint

either

jointly

bi-

Q5 -

disproportionate

disproportionately

proportionate

proportionately
Q6 -

self

own

only

private
Q7 -

lend

loan

borrowing

borrowed
Q8 -

viable

viably

unviable

unviably
Q9 -

models

modelling

model

modelled
Q10 -

incur
 secure

insecure

procure

Q11 -

ensued

issued

borrowed

lend

Q12 -

advance

advancing

advancement

advanced
Q13 -

failure

mediocrity

success

problem
Q14 -

gone

arrived

sent
 issued
Q15 -

poor

poorly

impoverished

poverty
The Man Booker Prize

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by a writer
from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in
contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which
was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the
‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name,
keeping ‘Booker’.

Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for
books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee give
advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who
will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a
judge once.

Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and
professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are
chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of
judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions without any further
involvement or interference from the prize sponsor.

The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent
quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the
sales increase considerably , in addition to the £50,000 that comes with the prize.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The Republic of Ireland

is in the Commonwealth.

is not in the Commonwealth.

can't enter the Man Booker Prize.

joined the Booker prize in 2002.

Q2 - The Man group

was forced to keep the name 'Booker'.

decided to include the name 'Booker'.

 decided to keep the name 'Booker-McConnell'.

decided to use only the name 'Booker'.

Q3 - Books can be submitted

by publishers.

by writers.

by judges.

by the sponsors.
Q4 - Who advises on changes to the rules?

The sponsors

The judging panel

The advisory panel

Publishers
Q5 - The judging panel

doesn't include women.

includes only women.

is only chosen from representatives of the industry.

includes someone from outside the industry.

Q6 - The sponsors of the prize

are involved in choosing the winner.

are involved in choosing the judges.

are not involved at all.

choose the academic for the panel of judges.

Q7 - The consistent quality of the prize

is guaranteed by the prize money.

is guaranteed by the gender of the judges.

is guaranteed by the make-up of the panel of judges.

is guaranteed by the increase in sales of the winner.

The ZX Spectrum

In April 1982 a British company, headed by Sir Clive Sinclair, launched the ZX Spectrum
computer on the market and sparked an IT revolution.

The tiny black computer with its rubber keys ignited the home computer age both in the UK
and elsewhere, which led to an boom in computer manufacturing and developed software
programmers whose talent is still evident today.

The ZX Spectrum was the brainchild of the entrepeneur Clive Sinclair, who had previously
developed one of the first cheap and slim pocket calculators. The Spectrum was Sinclair's
fourth computer, but was by far the most successful.

many people, the ZX Spectrum was their first experience of using a computer and it soon
gained a loyal following. In fact, it would not be a great exaggeration to credit Clive
Sinclair and his ZX Spectrum with almost single-handedly creating the IT industry in the
UK and providing the first learning tools for the programmers who shape today's video
games and information technology.

Even today, there are programs being written for the Spectrum, though it has not been made
for years.  The computer was so successful that there are many nostalgic users all over the
world, who look back on this machine with great affection.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 - The ZX Spectrum had an ordinary keyboard.

True

False

Q2 - The computer had a great impact only in the UK.

True

False

Q3 - The impact of the computer is still noticeable today.

True

False
Q4 - Clive Sinclair had not worked in electronics before making the computer.

True

False

Q5 - He only made computers.

True

False

Q6 - A lot of people had not used a computer before they bought the ZX Spectrum.

True

False

Q7 - The IT industry in the UK owes a lot to Clive Sinclair.

True

False

Q8 - The computer was influential in the area of video games.

True

False

Q9 - People are writing programs for it because the computer is still on the market.

True

False

Q10 - Many people have fond memories of this computer.

True

False
UK Record Deficit

The UK's current account 1) __________, a key 2) __________ indicator, widened to a

record level in the three months from July to September, 3) __________ to official data.   It
was £20bn, or 5.7% of gross 4) __________ product, compared 5) __________ £13.7bn in
the 6) __________ three months, the Office for National Statistics reported.

Analysts also 7) __________ worries about the record level of government 8) __________.

The data is evidence of a "dangerously unbalanced economy", according to one analyst.  In
its monthly report on government financing, the Office for National Statistics announced
that public 9) __________ net borrowing had hit a record £11.21bn in November.

The borrowing 10) __________ suggested that the government was 11) __________ track

to overshoot its pre-Budget report forecast by at least £5bn this year.  "Overall, a pretty ugly
picture, supporting our view that the coming economic 12) __________ will be a prolonged
period of adjustment rather than a short pause for breath like that seen in 2005," the analyst
explained.

"What is really shocking about these 13) __________ is that they reveal that the Exchequer
was running a large current deficit before the credit crisis 14) __________ home, when the
economy was doing very well and it should have been showing a large current 15)
__________," said Professor Peter Spencer.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1 -

deficient

deficiency

deficit

defeat

Q2 -

economic

economical

economics
 economist

Q3 -

accordance

according

reference

referring

Q4 -

domestic

domesticate

domestically

domesticity

Q5 -

by

with

for

from

Q6 -

previous

previously

next

coming
Q7 -

spoke

told

voiced

said

Q8 -

borrow

borrowing

lend

lending

Q9 -

area

sector

section

field

Q10 -

numerals

figures

decimals

quantities
Q11 -

in

on

at

by

Q12 -

downslow

slowdown

upturn

turnup

Q13 -

numerals

figures

decimals

quantities

Q14 -

got

reached

hit

beat
Q15 -

deficit

surplus

deficits

surpluses

The hardest language

People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer
because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the
differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of
how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.

A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a
native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish,
while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The
greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for
most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn,
possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the
pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners.
However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language,
learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman
alphabet.

Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers
and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well
as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to
use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no
direct use in their day to day life.

Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest
language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language
that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of
a nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that
Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic
personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However,
Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British
diplomats had to learn it.

Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more
difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing
system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native
speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the
British find relatively easy.

No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language
are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does
not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to
say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and
second language acquisition.

True

False
Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.

True

False
Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a
speaker of a European language.

True

False
Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.

True

False
Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world.

True

False
Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.

True

False
Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.

True

False
Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.

True

False
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka, who was born in 1934, is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. Many 1)
__________ him as Africa's most 2) __________ playwright.  He won the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1986, the first African writer to win this honour.

Soyinka has played an active role in Nigeria's 3) __________ history. In 1967, during the
Civil War in Nigeria,  he was arrested by the Federal Government and put in solitary 4)
__________ for attempting to broker a peace between the warring parties. While in prison
he wrote 5) __________ which was published in a collection. He was released two years
later after international attention was drawn to his 6) __________. His experiences in prison
are recounted in a book.He is an outspoken 7) __________ of many Nigerian
administrations, and of political tyrannies worldwide, including the Mugabe regime in
Zimbabwe. Much of his 8) __________ has been concerned with "the 9) __________ boot
and the irrelevance of the colour of the foot that wears it".

1986 was his most glorious year and occurred during the reigns of several violent and
repressive African regimes. The Swedish Academy 10) __________ him the Nobel Prize
for Literature as a writer “who in a wide 11) __________ perspective and with poetic
overtones fashions the drama of 12) __________”. The foremost Nigerian 13)
__________ became the first African Nobel laureate, enshrined forever in the history of
world literature. His Nobel Lecture was devoted to South African freedom-fighter Nelson
Mandela. Soyinka's 14) __________ speech criticised apartheid and the politics of racial
segregation imposed on the population by the Nationalist South African government. That
year brought him another 15) __________ award - the Agip Prize for Literature - and he
was awarded a Nigerian national decoration: Commander of the Federal Republic.

Comprehension Questions...

Q1

consider

regard

think

believe

Q2

distinguish
 distinguishable

distinguished

distinguishing

Q3

politic

politician

politcally

political

Q4

confinement

confine

confining

configuration

Q5

poet

poem

poems

poetry

Q6

in prison
 imprisonment

jailer

prisoner

Q7

criticise

critisism

critic

criticising

Q8

writings

writer

wright

writing

Q9

oppress

oppressive

oppression

oppresser

Q10

granted
 awards

awarded

grants

Q11

culture

cultural

cultured

cultures
Q12

exist

existance

existence

existential
Q13

dramatic

drama

dramatically

dramatist
Q14

acceptance

accept
 accepted

accepting
Q15

literate

literary

literally

literal
Log Cabins and the White House 

 Bill Clinton's father - a man the former president never knew - was a truck driver who
gave his son nothing but his nationality and his family name. Bill spent his early years in a
small wooden one-story house in the small town of Hope, Arkansas, the kind of house in
which millions of ordinary working class Americans still live. In a sense, it is the nearest
one can get today to the fabled "log cabin" in which so many American heroes are fabled
to have been brought up.
    Among other recent presidents, both Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, but not Donald
Trump nor George W Bush,  were men who made their way up to the presidency from
fairly simple origins. Reagan became known first as a minor Hollywood star; his screen
image, as a tough cowboy, at home in the saddle and in log cabins, undoubtedly helped him
in his original struggle for the Republican nomination and the presidency.

    Since the start of the nineteenth century, candidates for the American presidency
have taken pride in demonstrating their humble roots; the image of the "log cabin" became
symbolic of humble proletarian origins, at a time when the United States were beginning to
move west and occupy new territory, and home-built log cabins were the only form of
housing available for the pioneering homesteaders.
 Yet the only American president who could truthfully claim to have been born in a log
cabin was Abraham Lincoln, who was born in just such a building on a farm in Hardin
County, Kentucky. 
    The story of Abraham Lincoln's childhood is one of the great classics of the American
Dream; Lincoln spent his childhood years in a variety of log cabins, as his father moved
from place to place, advancing slowly westwards. In the winter of 1816-17, the Lincolns
lived in a "half-faced camp", a log cabin which was totally open on one side, in an
"unbroken forest" in the heart of almost uninhabited Indiana.
    While quite a few other American presidents have come up from humble roots, some
others whose roots were somewhat more privileged have willingly disguised the fact.

    The classic example was William Harrison, who was elected president in 1840. Harrison
campaigned for the presidency using a specially-written theme tune called the Log Cabin
March; indeed, his whole campaign was won with the slogan "log cabin and hard cider"....
but the tune and slogan were just marketing gambits, neither of which had anything to do
with reality! Harrison, whose father was one of the signatories of the Declaration of
Independence, came from a prosperous New England family, and was bought up in a
palatial home in Virginia.
    Ironically, Harrison's attempts to portray himself as a tough man of the people got him
nowhere; standing with neither hat nor coat during his inauguration ceremony on a bitter
winter's day in 1841, he caught pneumonia and died a month later.

    In more recent times, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic president from 1977 to 1981, was
also portrayed as a "country boy", and was popularly known as the peanut farmer from
Plains, Georgia. The fact that he was actually the owner of a very large and prosperous farm
and a string of family businesses, rather than a simple homesteader, was
often conveniently forgotten by those who wanted the president to seem like a simple man
with simple roots.

    Then in the year 2000, the man who was chosen as the 43rd American president was not
someone who had come from nowhere and made it to the top by his own skills and
determination, but a man from a very privileged background. George Bush Jr. came from an
illustrious family background, being the son of President George Bush Sr., and grandson of
a US senator..... the US equivalent of royalty.
    Naturally, there are many people in America who yearn nostalgically for a return to old
ways; but  in today's mediatized world, where image is everything, and money buys the
time and the TV and social media ads without which images cannot be built, it is hard to
imagine the clock being put back. Besides, although many poor Americans still live in small
wooden houses, few of those who do go on to become politicians. The age of the log-cabin-
raised president is definitely over. 

    Complete the missing endings where necessary in these extracts from the article: take
care, some endings are grammatical, others just test your spelling or your vocabulary.
:
Since the start of the ninet______ century, candidates for the American presid______ have
tak______ pride in demons______ their humble roots; the image of the "log cabin" became
symb______ of humble prolet______ origins, at a time when the United States were
begi______ to move west and occup______ new terr______, and home-buil______ log
cabins were the only form of hous______ avail______ for the pioneering______
homesteaders.

  The story of Abraham Lincoln's child______ is one of the great classics of the American
Dream; Lincoln spen______ his child______ years in a vari______ of log cabins, as his
father moved from place to place, advan______ slowly west______. In the winter of 1816-
17, the Lincolns lived in a "half-faced camp", a log cabin which was tota______ open on
one side, in an "unbr______ forest" in the heart of almost uninh______ Indiana.
The story of the skyscraper

America has given a lot of things to the world; but in terms of  urban lifestyle, none is
as significant and as visible as the skyscraper

    Tall buildings, their tips sometimes hidden in the clouds, skyscapers have become
the symbol of modern urban civilisation, and today they are found worldwide. But
until the mid 20th century, they were very much a distinctive feature of the American
city.

If you ask a person to describe an American city,  the chances are that he will mention the
word skyscraper. Tall buildings, their tips sometimes hidden in the clouds, have become the
symbol of the American metropolis, a symbol of  twenty-first century urban civilisation. 
American cities have not always had skyscrapers, but it is now almost a century and a half
since the first skyscrapers began to distinguish their skylines.

For millions of people coming to America from Europe, the first proof that they had
reached a new world was the moment when they first caught sight of the skyline of
Manhattan. Surrealistic, superhuman, the skyline was like nothing they had ever seen in the
old world — a concentration of tall buildings, their tops scraping the sky, hundreds of feet
above the ground. These were New York's famous skyscrapers! This was America!

The first skyscrapers, however, did not develop in New York, but in Chicago, in the late
nineteenth century. Chicago at that time was the boom town of the United States — New
York was just the front door. Chicago was at the centre of the new American adventure, and
the new adventure was the West. Chicago was the point at which the West began.

In the year 1871, a large part of booming Chicago was destroyed as a major fire engulfed
much of the downtown area. The fire, however, was a great stimulus to architects: not only
did it show them the need to design modern buildings that would not be liable to burn very
rapidly, but it also gave them plenty of opportunities to put their new theories into practice.

By the late 1800's architects and engineers had made great steps forwards. Until the
nineteenth century, the height of buildings had been limited to a maximum of about
ten stories as a result of the building materials used — wood, brick or stone. With the
exception of churches and cathedrals, few earlier buildings went higher than this, because
they could not do so. And even the great churches of mediaeval Europe had to respect basic
mechanical constraints. The walls needed to be terribly thick at the bottom, and often
supported by complicated systems of buttresses and flying buttresses, to stop them falling
down.
In the nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution resulted in the development of new
techniques, notably the use of iron. This allowed the building of much bigger buildings, in
particular railway stations, the "cathedrals of the Industrial Revolution", and exhibition
buildings. Opened in 1889, the nineteenth century's most famous iron and steel structure
reached unheard-of new heights. The Eiffel Tower, 1010 feet high, pointed the way to the
future: upwards!

Yet plain iron and steel structures had their limitations. They were not really suitable for the
design of human habitations or offices — and in the event of fire, they could collapse very
rapidly.

It was in fact the combination of the old and the new that allowed the development of the
skyscraper: the combination of metal frames and masonry cladding. The metal frame
allowed much greater strength and height, without the enormous mass and weight of stone-
built structures; the masonry cladding allowed traditional features, such as rooms
and partitions, to be included in the design with relatively few problems. The man
generally considered as the father of this new technique was the Chicago architect William
Jenney.

Though Jenney was the father of the metal-frame building, his own buildings did not go any
higher than contemporary brick or stone buildings already going up in Chicago, New York,
and elsewhere. Jenney's "Home Insurance Building" in Chicago (photo above) was only ten
stories high, and stylistically similar to other buildings which did not use a metal frame.

It was left to Jenney's successors, notably Lewis Sullivan and David Burnham, working in
Chicago and New York, to go futher. Burnham's "Flat-iron Building" in New York, erected
in 1902, reached new heights for an office building, with 20 stories; and at 290 feet (about
90 metres), it is known as New York's first skyscraper.

The reasons for building skyscrapers were clear, particularly in a city like New York,
whose downtown district, Manhattan, could not expand very easily on a horizontal plane,
limited as it was by the Hudson and East rivers. Apart from upwards, there were not many
directions in which Manhattan could grow. And once the building techniques had been
mastered, vertical expansion became the most desirable solution for the city's businessmen.

Since those early days, and in particular since the Second World War, skyscrapers
have mushroomed in all the world's big cities; and they keep getting higher and higher.
Before the First World War, New York's "Woolworth Building" had reached 792 feet (241
metres) ; and by the Second World War, the Empire State Building —for many years the
world's tallest — had actually passed the Eiffel Tower. In the 1970s, the enormous twin
towers of the World Trade Center, 107 stories high, went even further. But did they go too
far?  As bold icons of modern America, they became the target of terrorism when radical
Islamic terrorists used passenger jets to destroy them, in the terrible events of 9/11  - the
11th of September 2001.

Architectural dreamers of a hundred years ago or more imagined cities in the

sky, giant buildings where people lived thousands of feet above the ground, above the
clouds, above the pollution. Today, although some people believe that modern skyscrapers
are too high, they now characterise cities all over the world; and they keep getting higher.
Fires in a few tall buildings, for instance in Dubai,  have led to further questions being
asked; but in spite of the occasional disaster, skyscrapers are here to stay — at least for
offices and city hotels. Symbols of our civilisation, they are not likely to be replaced.

WORDS :
metropolis : very big city - catch sight of: start to see - skyline: profile - stories: levels -
constraints: limitations - buttresses and flying buttresses: architectural supports used to
hold up tall buildings, especially in Gothic architecture - in the event of: if there is
- masonry : stone, bricks or concrete - cladding: exterior - partitions: non-stress-bearing
walls (stress: weight, force) - downtown: central - to mushroom: to appear in lots of
different places - giant : enormous

Complete the following extract from the article, putting in the definite articles if and when
they are required.  If no article is needed, put  0.
To revise the use of articles,  visit the articles page  of the Linguapress online English
grammar
To save your answers, take a screenshot when you have completed the exercise.

In   nineteenth century,   Industrial Revolution resulted in   

development of   new techniques, notably   use of   iron. This

allowed   building of much bigger buildings, in particular   railway

stations, the "cathedrals of the Industrial Revolution", and   exhibition buildings.

Opened in 1889,   nineteenth century's most famous iron and steel structure

reached   unheard-of new heights.   Eiffel Tower, 1010 feet high,

pointed   way to   future: upwards!

Yet   plain iron and steel structures had their limitations. They were not really

suitable for   design of human habitations or   offices — and

in   event of   fire, they could collapse very rapidly.

It was in fact   combination of   old and   new that

allowed   development of  skyscraper:   combination

of   metal frames and   masonry cladding.   metal frame

allowed   much greater strength and height, without   enormous mass

and weight of stone-built structures;   masonry cladding allowed   

traditional features, such as   rooms and partitions, to be included in   

design with relatively few problems.   man generally considered as   

father of this new technique was the Chicago architect William Jenney. 
The story of Ellis Island

Mass migrations have marked the history of the human race ever since people began to
dream of a better life

Migration is in the news these days, as Donald Trump tries to set up new physical and
administrative barriers against people wanting to enter the USA - mostly from
Central America, Asia and Africa.  But a century ago, the USA welcomed immigrants,
most of them people from Europe who were migrating in mass, looking for a better
life in the USA. Ellis Island, the small island in New York Harbor was, for millions of
would-be immigrants,  their first experience of the promised land.

The year is 1906, the date November 16th. Franz and Ulrike Schumacher and their three
children have just disembarked from the Hamburg-Amerika line steamship that has
carried them across the stormy North Atlantic Ocean from Germany.
    Like the thousands of other people milling around them, they are totally bewildered,
caught up in a mixture of hope and apprehension, as they crowd into a vast waiting room.
The room sounds like the Tower of Babel, for few of those in it speak a word of English.
They speak German, Polish, Dutch, Hungarian, or Russian maybe, yet they have
come, seeking a new life in a new world; and now they are on American soil for the first
time. This is America! America! Or at least it is Ellis Island.
    After interminable hours of waiting, the Schumacher family are finally called to a desk;
immigration officials study their papers, and ask them where they intend to go. They don't
ask how long they're planning to stay, however, since they know the answer already. All
those who pass through Ellis Island -- and that could mean over 11,000 people per day --
are would-be immigrants. They are looking to start a new life in a new world.

    For many, passing through Ellis Island was not so much a matter of stepping into a new
world, it was stepping into a new life, a new character. And so it was that the man who
finally led his family through the door and onto the ferry packed with a jostling crowd of
new Americans was not Franz Schumacher any more, but Frank Shoemaker, even if he still
didn't understand more than a couple of words of English.

    Ever since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the United States has been a nation
of immigrants. While today the pattern of immigration is not what it used to be  (most
immigrants coming from Latin America or Asia)  and immigration policies are now
designed to restrict entrance to the USA, things were very different in the early part of the
twentieth century.

    Ellis Island, almost in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty at the entrance to New York
Harbor, was the first stop on American soil for some twelve million immigrants between
the years 1892 and 1954. For most, it was "a portal of hope and freedom"; for just a few, it
was the "Island of Tears", when they were turned away for failing to meet the various
immigration laws and requirements.
    During its years of operation, Ellis Island was the principal port of immigration into the
United States, processing approximately 75% of all the immigrants into America over the
period.
    The original three acre island got its name from a previous owner, Samuel Ellis. At the
end of the eighteenth century, the State of New York secured the island in order to build
fortifications as part of its harbor defense system.

    It was in 1890 that that Congress set aside funds to begin improvements on the island, so
that a federal immigration station could be built to replace the existing facilities at Castle
Garden, in lower Manhattan.
    The original island was expanded to several times its size, and the new immigration
station opened on January 1st, 1892. Five years later, it was destroyed by fire; but it was
soon rebuilt, with an impressive French Renaissance style brick building, which opened for
business on December 17th 1900 and processed 2,251 immigrants that very same day. The
part of the building whose image remained most clearly marked in the memories of those
who passed through, was the vast registry room occupying the whole central section of the
second floor; it was here that most of the processing of would-be immigrants took place.

    During the next half century, the small island grew to its present size, as it was joined by
landfill to three adjacent islands. The main building was supplemented with a power
house, kitchens, a hospital and contagious diseases wards, a dormitory building, a bakery
and several other structures.
    In the early 1920's, though, immigration declined sharply, as restrictive immigration laws
were passed. These put an annual ceiling on immigration, and established quotas for each
foreign nation. They also made it compulsory for would-be immigrants to fill in papers at
the US consulate in their country of origin, rather than on arrival. Thereafter, only those
whose papers were not in order, or who needed medical treatment, were sent to Ellis Island.

    The facilities were increasingly used for the assembly and deportation of aliens who had
entered the USA illegally, or of immigrants who had violated the terms of their admittance.
And finally, on November 12th 1954, the Ellis Island immigration station ceased operation.
    Now it is open again, but as a museum, to tell the story of a fundamental stage in the
making of modern America. The story needs to be told; what better place to tell it than on
Ellis Island ?

WORDS
disembarked from: got off - to mill around: to move around with nothing to
do - bewildered: lost, anxious - seek: look for - interminable: long, endless - would-
be: potential, hopeful - jostling: pushing -  processing: filling in the documents for - three
acre: 1.3 hectare - funds: money - facilities: buildings - adjacent: near - power
house: generator room, where electricity is
made - contagious: infectious - aliens: foreigners, non-Americans -

Complete these sentences with the appropriate prepositions 

1. The immigrants disembarked (____________) the steamship that had carried them
(____________) the ocean.

 2. Like the thousands of other people milling (____________) them, they are caught
(____________) (____________) a mixture of hope and apprehension as they crowd
(____________) a vast waiting room.

 3. They have come, seeking life (____________) a new world; and now they are
(____________) American soil (____________) the first time. 

 4. After hours of waiting, they are called (____________) a desk. 

 5. All those who pass (____________) Ellis Island are would-be immigrants. 

 6. (____________) many, passing (____________) Ellis Island was not so much a

matter of stepping (____________) a new world, it was stepping (____________) a new
life, a new character. 

 7. The man who finally led his family (____________) the door and
(____________) the ferry packed (____________) a jostling crowd of new Americans
was not Franz Schumacher any more, but Frank Shoemaker. 

 8. Ellis Island, almost (____________) the shadow (____________) the Statue of

Liberty (____________) the entrance (____________) New York Harbor, was the first
stop (____________) American soil (____________) some twelve million immigrants
(____________) the years 1892 and 1954.

Matching exercise:

Take one element from each column  to form a sentence, and add in an appropriate time
clause  (e.g. "on 12th November 2008"). 
A
-  Congress set aside funds
-  Franz and Ulrike Schumacher
-  the US has been a nation of immigrants
-  the new building
-  the new station
-  the French Renaissance style building
-  Ellis Island
-  immigration declined sharply
-  the Ellis Island Immigration Station 

B
-  ever since the Declaration of Independence
-  saw 12 million immigrants
-  because of restrictive immigration laws
-  closed its doors
-  opened for business
-  disembarked on Ellis Island
-  was destroyed by fire
-  to build a federal immigration station
-  opened
COLLEGE SPORT - USA

If American athletes so often take the greatest number of medals, if American scientists

and thinkers win so many Nobel prizes and other awards, and American businesses
dominate the world, it is largely down to one word: competition. 

    Since the days of the pioneers, competition has been at the heart of the American way
of life; and in today's USA, there are probably few areas where the competitive spirit is
stronger than in the world of colleges and universities.

   Rivalry between institutions is intense, and nowhere is this more true than on the sports
field. Successful sports teams can be enormous assets to a college's reputation and public
image, which explains why many go to incredible lengths to attract and recruit top high-
school athletes.

   There is a growing feeling, however, that in many cases they go too far. Recent media
reports have focused on the extremely high drop-out rate among college sports scholars.
While some abandon their education to take up lucrative professional contracts, most leave
college with no degree, and no hope of entering the elite world of professional sport either.
Pressured to achieve results in their sport, many have had no option but to put academic
study on the back burner.

   Their situation was recently highlighted by Rep. Ron Wilson, a Texas Democrat, who

claims that colleges and universities are cheating many student athletes of a proper
education.

   "They entice them in with all kinds of promises of fame and fortune, they get them at
university, and then only one out of ten of them graduates," he said. "The system doesn't
really care about them."

One thing the system does care about, on the other hand, is money. College sport is big
money in the USA, and the prestige attached to high performance athletes, and the colleges
they represent, is enormous. NCAA (National College Athletic Association) rules state
clearly that all college athletes must be amateurs, yet college sport is a multi-billion dollar
business. Though it is registered as a tax-exempt charity, the NCAA itself had a budget of
5.64 billion dollars in 2007.

One major source of income for the NCAA is a $6 billion college basketball contract with
CBS television, an 11-year deal signed in 1999.

This and other expensive contracts have drawn a lot of criticism. Faculty members in
many colleges have complained of the enormous sums of money spent on extensive high-
quality sports facilities; and many students are increasingly bitter about the
favors bestowed upon college sports champions.

Though it concerned a high school, not a university, the notorious 1999 massacre at
Columbine High School was all about sport. One of the reasons that led Eric Harris and
Dylan Klebold to go on their killing spree was their resentment at the privileges and status
enjoyed by the "jocks", the heroes of the school's sports teams. Had they waited a year or
two, Harris and Klebold might have emptied their guns on a university campus, not in a
high school.

The arguments about the role and status of college athletes is one that preoccupies many
students, athletes or not. It only takes a few minutes' searching on the Internet to turn up
sites and discussion groups on the subject. The biggest issue right now seems to be the
question of whether college athletes should be paid, like professionals.

NCAA rules are quite clear on this point. Apart from their sports scholarships, college
athletes are not allowed to "receive any salary, incentive payment, award, gratuity,
educational expenses or expense allowances" nor "use athletics skills for pay in any form".
In reality, the situation is often very different, with many high-performance college athletes
receiving undeclared benefits including free prestige cars (such as a BMW) and free
housing.

Judging by comments on Internet forums, most college athletes think they deserve to be
paid. Robert Krot, a basketball scholar, wrote: "I play college basketball, and I barely have
time to do anything. There is no way I could hold a job. I don't come from a wealthy
background, so I have to make do with what I have. College athletes should be paid."

But another writer, called Joss, disagrees; "The value of money is far greater than you
think, it can mess up your mind. I know, because I play basketball; but you know, what I
am also trying to become is a microbiologist, because I know I am not guaranteed to
be drafted into the NBA."

If, in the years to come, college athletes do get the right to benefit from professional
sponsorship, few people will be terribly surprised. Corporate sponsorship of university
laboratories has helped the USA become world leader in scientific research. Corporate
sponsorship of college sport is just another step in the same direction..... or at least, that is
what some people say.

 
WORDS:  
athlete: sportsman or woman  award: prize -  asset: advantage -  drop-out : failure -
lucrative: profitable -    achieve: obtain - put on the back burner : give low priority to
-  highlight: point out, show - Rep: Representative, member of Congress :   cheating: being
dishonest -   entice: attract   tax-exempt: not having to pay tax  bestow: place -  spree:
adventure -  resentment:  indignation - allowances:  money given - barely : hardly
-  draft:  recruit 
Hillary CLINTON - the early years

The first woman to be nominated by a major party as a presidential candidate, Hillary

Clinton is a woman who inspires great enthusiasm, or great dislike.  This article was
originally written for Linguapress's Spectrum magazine in 1994 by Nicole Bernheim,
former New York correspondent of France's Le Monde newspaper. 

Hillary Clinton is certainly the incarnation of the dreams of many American women of

her generation. She has got "everything": a family, a fine career, and a husband who not
only supports her and approves of what she does, but also allows her to use her talents to
the full.

    Hillary Rodham was born in Chicago in 1947, the daughter of a textile manufacturer.

Her family was comfortably off, but not rich; she had two brothers, and her mother did not
work.
    At school, she was always a brilliant student, though not the kind of girl who spent all her
time in her books. On the contrary, she spent a lot of time on outside activities, something
which is always greatly appreciated in American schools.

It was while she was still at high school that Hillary began to take an interest in social
issues, working in the poorer districts of town among immigrant families, and helping them
to participate in elections.
    After graduating from high school, she went on to study at Wellesley College, one of the
best universities on the East Coast, where she was elected President of the Students'
Union. Photos taken at the time show her as a fairly plump young woman, dressed in rather
shapeless clothes, and wearing large glasses. Looking smart was not one of her major
concerns.

   It was at Yale Law School that Hillary first met Bill Clinton, a good looking young man
who, in spite of his reputation as a dilettante, was actually one of the brightest students in
his year. The legend says that Bill finally "noticed" Hillary because she spoke so well.

    At the time, Hillary was actively involved in the Women's Liberation movement, and
seemed to be much more interested in her career than in marriage. When, several years
later, she was asked how it was that, after a long complicated relationship, she finally ended
up marrying Bill Clinton, she answered: "Because he was the only guy I dated who wasn't
afraid of me!"

    Meanwhile, while Bill had gone back to his native Arkansas, intending to follow a
career in politics, Hillary became a brilliant lawyer in Washington, where she took part in
the famous Watergate hearings. Though several major firms of lawyers asked her to join
them, she decided in 1973 to leave Washington and join Bill in Arkansas. They got married
in 1975, and Hillary joined a firm of lawyers in Little Rock (the capital of Arkansas).

    In 1979, at the age of 32, Bill Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas, becoming the
youngest state Governor in the U.S.A.  A year later, Hillary gave birth to their daughter
Chelsea, named after a favorite hit song of the 1960's.

    During Bill's twelve years in office as Governor of Arkansas, Hillary helped him to
radically reform the state's public school system, and establish a school
medical welfare system that had no equivalent anywhere else in the United States.

    As a solitary concession to the powerful conservative lobby in the Deep South, who
were not accustomed to seeing wives working in partnership with their husbands, she
agreed to add her husband's name to her own, and be called Hillary Rodham Clinton   just
to show that she really was married.
    She also changed her look, began to dress much more smartly, got a new hairstyle and
replaced her glasses with contact lenses. She was ready for Washington.

WORDS:  
 - comfortably off: moderately rich - to date: to go out with - dilettante: amateur, not a
serious student -  - hearings: judicial enquiry  - incarnation: real example - lawyer: legal
expert, advocate - manufacturer : maker -  plump: moderately fat - social issues : social
questions -  solitary: single, just one -  students' union : students' association
- welfare: aid, social help