The night-walkers of Uganda

Level 1 l Advanced

1 Key Words

Fill the gaps using these words from the text:

subdued encampment abduction fundamentalist breed
warp overwhelmed crave thug raid

1. If you something, you want it very much and in such a way that it is very hard to control.

2. If a place is by people, there are so many people in it that it is difficult to deal with them.

3. To a negative feeling or situation is to cause it to develop.

4. A is a man who is violent, especially a criminal.

5. An is the act of taking someone away from their home or family using force.

6. To something, for example a person’s character, is to affect it in a negative way.

7. A person or group believes that original religious and political laws should be followed

very strictly and not be changed.

8. A is a sudden short attack.

9. If someone looks , he looks slightly sad or worried.

10. An is a large group of tents or temporary shelters.

2 Pre-reading What do you know?

Choose the best answer for each question. Then look in the text and check your answers.
1. Where is Uganda?
a. In the Middle East. b. In Asia c. In Africa.

2. What is the main problem in northern Uganda?

a. A civil war. b. Severe floods. c. Severe droughts.

3. How long has this problem existed?

a. For almost 5 years. b. For almost 10 years. c. For almost 20 years.

4. What is the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)?

a. The group in power. b. A rebel group. c. The country’s army.

The night-walkers of Uganda

Mary Aciro has spent the day gathering grass to feed the cattle, weeding the vegetable patch and helping
her mother cook dinner over a charcoal fire: the life of any African girl in any African village. But as daylight
begins to fade, Mary slips away from the family’s tiny mud hut and strides down a sandy track into the
nearest town. The adults in the town of Lacor in northern Uganda are going home for dinner on buses. Mary,
along with hundreds of other children, is going the other way. The children are dressed in rags and flip-flops;

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The night-walkers of Uganda
Level 1 l Advanced
some carry sacks or rolled-up blankets on their shoulders. They scramble over grassy banks and hurry
down the sun-scorched roadside on the way to the night shelters, which are guarded by government troops.

In any other country a 14-year-old girl leaving her home and an anxious mother for the night would spell
rebellion. Here, it’s simply about survival. “We fear the rebels, we fear thugs and robbers who come at night
to disturb us,” says Mary as she walks with a swinging stride.

On a troubled continent, the war in this region stands out. It is Africa’s longest-running civil war, and perhaps
the only conflict in history in which children are both the main victims and the principal aggressors. Mary and
the other children walk to safety every night because they fear, with good reason, abduction by the Lord’s
Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian fundamentalist rebel group that uses children as soldiers, porters and
sexual slaves. The LRA carries out its raids at night, storming into villages from the surrounding bush, killing
adults and forcing children to beat their parents before marching them away to camps deep in the bush.

Mary’s 15-year-old brother, Geoffrey, was abducted by the rebels; he was held for three months. “They
made him carry heavy loads, beat him at times, he went without food,” says their mother, Agnes. Geoffrey
only escaped when a government helicopter gunship attacked the rebels holding him. Mary’s neighbour, a
girl named Florence, was abducted too. She spent three years with the rebels: she was forced into sexual
slavery and became pregnant.

Desperate to keep the child-snatchers from their doors, parents in northern Uganda began sending their
children into nearby towns at night in 2002. 40,000 children across the region started walking into towns to
sleep. Aid agencies set up shelters to give them somewhere safe to go, and it’s one of these that Mary is
heading for.

As she approaches Lacor, she walks past bars lit by a single lightbulb and tiny shops whose wooden
shelves are crammed with cooking oil, salt, soap powder and mobile phone top-up cards. As the shadows
spread, the shopkeepers open their thief-proof metal doors and step out. Mary lives near the town but
some of the other children walk for hours to reach safety. When she reaches the shelter, it is already full of
children, some of them barely toddlers, others in their late teens. The shelter is made up of stark concrete
buildings, bare as a barn inside, as well as rows of giant white canvas tents.

Lillian Apiyo, 14, is already inside. “I come here for protection,” she says. “I always get new friends from
here. There is nowhere to stay at home.” The children filter through the gates looking subdued, but a party
atmosphere soon develops. A dozen or so children begin dancing. At other shelters there is frenetic
singing of motivational songs. The shelters are busy enough as it is, and if food were provided, they would
be overwhelmed.

Adult wardens patrol with torches, breaking up the occasional fight over a blanket and checking on children
who look scared or upset. “When I am here, I feel I am somebody,” says Gabriel Oloya, who studies his
schoolbooks in the dim light. “When I am at home, I’m always upset. I feel lonely and so many thoughts
come into my mind. Here, I tend to forget such things.” Gabriel, 15, is responsible for the four younger
brothers who walk with him to the shelter. “My parents are dead, killed by the rebels,” he says.

Childhood is short in rural Africa, but it is rare for children to be thrown so completely on their own resources
as they are in this war-damaged society. The children who come to the shelters crave affection. Many of
them are orphans whose parents were murdered by the rebels and who have been taken in by their ex-
tended family. The girls comb each other’s hair while the boys spin bottle-tops or engage in play fights.

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The night-walkers of Uganda
Level 1 l Advanced
In the shelter the wardens keep boys and girls apart, but outside its gates young couples are cuddling in the
semi-darkness.

This sort of thing does worry Mary’s mother. “We can’t follow our children up to the shelter,” Agnes says.
“Sometimes a girl says she has gone there, but she has gone to a boyfriend, and she becomes pregnant
and drops out of school.” But then there is more to worry about than teenage boys. The Acholi and Lango
tribes of northern Uganda were once farmers, living in scattered villages amid their herds of cattle and fields
of maize. But 19 years of war have warped everything: almost the entire population of the north, 1.5 million
people, has been displaced into crowded, dusty encampments on the outskirts of towns. Despair has bred
alcoholism and violence; the horror of war is part and parcel of life.

As the older generation dies out, so does the hope of returning to a normal life. This is a culture with few
written records, which relies on memories to place the boundaries of farmland and the distance to the
nearest stream. When their parents are gone, the children’s link with their original villages will be broken for
ever. “For me, the worst thing that may happen here is a situation where officially there is no war, but
everybody remains in the camps,” says Father Carlos Rodriguez Soto, a Roman Catholic priest who has
spent 18 years in Uganda.

The sun has not quite risen when the wardens rouse the children. After a prayer and a wash, the children
who have blankets roll them on to their shoulders, the older ones gather up younger brothers and sisters
and they begin to slip out of the gates and stream on to the road. By 9 a.m. the sun will burn and sweat will
drip from every forehead, but now it is gentle. It is a good time to walk home.

3 Comprehension check

Match each fact with a reason or purpose.

Facts
1. In Uganda 40,000 children leave their home every night.
2. The LRA abducts children.
3. Aid agencies have set up shelters.
4. Food isn’t provided in night shelters.
5. Wardens patrol the shelters with torches.
6. A lot of children crave affection.
7. Childhood is very short in Uganda.
8. The children’s link with their villages will be lost.

Reasons or purposes
a. To avoid having overwhelmed shelters.
b. Because they fear abduction.
c. To break up fights and check on the children.
d. To use them as soldiers, porters and sexual slaves.
e. Because they are orphans.
f. To provide a safe place for children to go to.
g. Because there are few written records and the older generation is dying out.
h. Because children are thrown on their own resources at an early age.

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The night-walkers of Uganda
Level 1 l Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1 Adjective order

Put the words in order to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.

1. mud / hut / tiny / a

2. tents / giant / canvas / white

3. concrete / buildings / stark

4. fundamentalist / Christian / a / group / rebel

5 Vocabulary 2 Compound modifiers

Write a compound word (a word made up of two or more words joined by dashes) to complete the
descriptions in column B. Check your answers in the text.

A B

1. the roadside scorched by the sun the roadside

2. blankets that have been rolled up blankets

3. a girl who is 14 years old a girl

4. the civil war that has run the longest the civil war

5. metal doors that are proof against thieves metal doors

6. a society that has been damaged by the war a society

6 Vocabulary 3 Phrasal verbs

Use these words to complete phrasal verbs from the text. Check your answers in the text.
in for out up without

1. The LRA carries raids at night. 6. Wardens patrol the shelters to break

2. Geoffrey had to go food. fights.

3. Aid agencies set shelters. 7. Gabriel was taken by his extended

4. Mary is heading a night shelter. family.

5. The shelter is made of buildings 8. The older generation is dying .

and tents.

7 Discussion

Of all the problems in Uganda, which do you think is the most serious of all? Why? What could be done to help
solve it?

4
No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1

Look at the headline. What do you think the article will be about?

2 Pre-reading 2 Key Words

Predict the meaning of these words from the text by matching them with the definitions.
a polytunnel a dozen a walking frame to witness something
defiance to cheer somebody on to object to something
to descend on (a place) to spring up a migrant

1. to say that you disagree with something

2. to see something happen

3. an open refusal to obey; a strong protest

4. to encourage somebody to continue what they are doing

5. twelve, or about twelve

6. someone who moves to another country to work or live

7. to appear suddenly and unexpectedly, as if by magic

8. a metal support that helps old or disabled people to move

9. a long, transparent polythene cover to protect growing

plants, tall enough for people to work inside

10. to arrive somewhere in large numbers

Now read the first four paragraphs and see if you were right.

No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers

1
When Val Salisbury walked down her lane in Herefordshire, in southern England, and into a giant plastic
polytunnel where dozens of Ukrainians, Lithuanians and other east Europeans were picking strawberries,
the workers were surprised. She was, after all, a 69-year-old Englishwoman using a walking frame. But
when she started pulling up the plants and throwing them to the ground, they realised why she was there.

2
Mrs Salisbury herself was surprised by what the east Europeans did next. According to some of the people
who witnessed her act of defiance against S&A Davies, Europe’s largest strawberry grower, the workers
started clapping, and then cheered her on. By the time the farm manager had arrived, Mrs Salisbury was a
hero. A hero, not just for those people in the county of Herefordshire who object to thousands of acres of
plastic-covered farmland, but also to an army of workers from all over eastern Europe who pick fruit for
British supermarkets.

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No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced
3
“I felt so much better after my protest,” said Mrs Salisbury last weekend. “We don’t need these bloody
strawberries and these polytunnels in Herefordshire”.

4
Welcome to the English strawberry fields, where the beginning of summer sees at least 5,000 people from
eastern Europe descend on Herefordshire and Worcestershire to pick fruit. This year two villages, each of
more than 1,700 people, have sprung up without planning permission, each with 400 or more caravans,
football pitches, internet cafes and even saunas. The pickers are welcomed by the majority of local people,
but there is concern that the migrant labour force is being exploited. Last weekend an informal survey of
50 people working in the tunnels suggested that many pickers are as angry as Mrs Salisbury. Those who
spoke English said they were being paid less than they expected, that they had to wait for payment, that the
accommodation was expensive, that they had paid too much to get there, and that the management were
profiting excessively from their stay.

5
“In Lithuania I earn two hundred pounds a month,” said Mindaugas, a Vilnius policeman. “I thought I could
earn more here. It looks like I am not going to. It cost more than I thought to get here; it costs more to live.”

6
“None of us like strawberry picking,” said Svetlana, a Ukrainian student. “Today I have earned £23. But
I must pay £35 a week to live in a box with three other people. Perhaps I earn £150 in a week, but when I
have paid for food, accommodation, tax, everything, maybe I have £70 for a six days. It’s not good”.

7
“The money is bad,” said Artur, a waiter from the Czech Republic. “We waited days to have work. Last year
we heard there was a strike here; perhaps there will be one this year, too. It is like a prison. I have been
given a yellow card already. One more and I am sent home.”

8
Documents drawn up by S&A Davies and seen by the Guardian set out the terms and conditions for workers,
who live four or five to a room. They must pay £26.25 a week for accommodation, £3 a week for sewage and
waste collection, £2.25 for electricity and £2.75 for leisure facilities, including a TV set, football pitch and disco.
For £30, they have access to medical and translation advice.

9
The documents state that pickers can be sacked for eating a single strawberry, for stopping work, going to
the toilet in a hedge, or for smoking indoors. If rooms are not “clean and tidy”, the workers can be asked to
leave. If they want to invite a visitor to the camp, they must ask permission two days in advance. “I have
never been anywhere like this,” said Irynya, a Ukrainian housewife. The company said they guaranteed
pickers £5.05 an hour when there was work, and a bonus if they met targets. But they said that at the start
of the season or in bad weather they could not guarantee hours. “When 3,500 people turn up, it’s hard to get
everyone going at the same time. We reduced the accommodation charge to £10 when it was raining, two
weeks ago,” said Graham Neal, a manager with S&A Davies.

10
Mr Neal blamed agents in east European countries for sending them unsuitable workers. “The old student
agriculture workers quota scheme meant we could go to an east European university and know people’s
history and character. We had superb people. Now the government says that we must recruit EU people.
Some countries ... have sent over their unemployed drunks,” he said.

11
As a final irony, the east Europeans cannot afford to buy the fruit they pick. “Yes, we like strawberries but we
cannot pay for them,” said Linas Petraitis, a Ukrainian buying cheap white bread and margarine in the local
supermarket. “When you eat one, just think of us in the tunnels.”

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No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced

3 Post-reading Point of view

Do you think the writer sympathizes more with the workers or with the management of the strawberry
farm? Why?

4 Detailed comprehension

Are the following statements true or false?

1. Mrs Salisbury was fit and healthy.
2. She didn’t want the countryside covered with plastic.
3. None of the local people agree with her.
4. The workers were angry that she was destroying their work.
5. There is nothing for the workers to do in their free time.
6. Some local people think the management are making an unfair profit out of the workers.
7. The migrants’ working conditions are severe.
8. Doctors and interpreters are provided free.
9. There is not always enough work for everyone.
10.The S&A Davies manager is critical of all European workers.

5 Vocabulary 1 Word search

Find words in paragraphs 7-10 that mean:

1. When workers refuse to work, to protest about their conditions (7)

2. A sign or warning (originally from football) that you have done something wrong,

and may be dismissed (7)

3. Waste material from the toilet (7)

4. Dismissed (8)

5. Promised (to pay) (8)

6. Reached the totals set (8)

7. A number that is officially permitted (9)

8. Find and employ ((9)

9. A strange or funny situation where things happen in the opposite way to what you

would expect (10)

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No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced

6 Vocabulary 2 Phrasal Verbs

1. See if you can remember the missing particles in these phrasal verbs.

1. pulling the plants

2. cheered her

3. descend Hertfordshire

4. two villages have sprung

5. documents drawn by S&A Davies

6. set the terms and conditions

7. when 3,500 people turn

2. Now match numbers 1, 5, 6 and 7 to these definitions:

a) prepared and written
b) explained clearly in writing
c) arrive (sometimes unexpectedly)
d) removing, roots and all

3. Check your answers in the text.

7 Interpretation and discussion

1. Do you agree with the idea of richer countries importing workers from poorer countries to do manual jobs?
If so, under what circumstances and conditions?

2. With a partner, take the roles of:

A. a migrant worker
B. the manager of the fruit farm

Try to reach an agreement about wages and conditions.

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Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key vocabulary
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.
machete glamorous plunder vulnerable laden
secluded tip-off jurisdiction premium non lethal
1. A is a warning or secret information given to someone.
2. If something is , it is attractive and interesting in an exciting or unusual way.
3. A is the amount of money you pay regularly for an insurance policy.
4. A is a large knife with a long wide blade used as a weapon or tool.
5. is the right or power to make legal decisions.
6. If something is it will not kill you.
7. A place is private and peaceful and not near other people or places.
8. If something is , it is weak or easy to attack.
9. If a ship is heavily , it is full of cargo.
10. means the valuable things taken from a place by force.

2 What do you know?

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible:
1. What percentage of world trade is carried by sea?
a. 30% b. 60% c. 90%

2. Which area is the centre of modern-day piracy?

a. The South China Sea b. The Red Sea c. The Caribbean

3. The coast off which of these countries is particularly dangerous because of pirates?
a. Russia b. Tanzania c. Somalia

4. How many crew members does a modern container ship have?

a. Fewer than 10 b. 20–24 c. 60–70

5. How much money do Filipino sailors on international container ships earn each month?
a. $400 b. $1,000 c. $4,000

Latter-day pirates plunder the high seas

A large container ship, the Australian Star, was making its way across the South China Sea bound for New
Zealand. It was evening and Captain Peter Newton left the bridge for his cabin. As the ship passed the
Indonesian island of Bintan, nine armed men burst into Captain Newton’s cabin. They held a machete to his
neck and his hands were bound with rope. The gang leader told him that if he didn’t open the ship’s safe
– or if he triggered its alarm – he would be killed. Once the pirates had pocketed the $20,000 they found in
the safe, they descended to their small craft using a rope.

Pirates have seemed glamorous ever since the days of Robert Louis Stevenson. Pirate stories are adored
by Hollywood but real-life pirates are profiting from plunder of the high seas as never before. Attacks by
modern pirates have increased by 168% in the past decade. Since Captain Newton was attacked in 1992,

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Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced
there have been 3,583 piratical attacks reported worldwide, causing 340 deaths. Last November, a ship
called Seabourn Spirit was ambushed off the coast of Somalia. Pirates with rocket-propelled grenades in
two boats were repelled when the crew directed a ‘sonic blaster’ at their attackers.

Robbery at sea entered a golden age during the 17th century, when European powers colonised the Caribbean.
Pirates such as Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach and ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham attacked heavily laden trading ships,
taking advantage of the political vacuum and a secluded coastline perfect for ambushes. As the age of
empire took hold and naval forces imposed order on the high seas, piracy lost its vigour; now, with imperial
decline, it is regaining strength. A variety of conditions – from the cost-cutting of the shipping industry to the
absence of international arrangements to tackle piracy – is aiding modern pirates.

The centre of modern-day piracy is the South China Sea, scene of more than a third of last year’s 266
reported raids. Waters around failing states are particularly dangerous. The Indian Ocean off Somalia is
home to a special brand of piracy, in which ships are hijacked and crews are kidnapped and ransomed.

Modern pirates use intelligence (often tip-offs from corrupt port officials), satellite phones and tracking
technology to plan attacks on valuable cargo, but one tool of modern pirates remains the same: the rope
and grappling hook. Storming a ship in motion requires special forces-style skills and many in the shipping
industry believe some of the more sophisticated modern pirates have a military background. A relative
absence of risk also is behind the rise in piracy, according to Newton.

‘We don’t carry armed guards and nobody is going to pursue you because it is international waters and no
one has jurisdiction,’ he says. ‘Once they get on board, there is nothing you can do if they are armed and
you are not.’ Another reason why piracy is so risk free is that many victims fail to report the crime. Shipping
companies would rather bear the loss of $20,000 stolen from a safe than report it to their insurers and face
a large increase in premiums. Insurance premiums rose by 300% for vessels entering Yemeni waters after
a suicide boat rammed into Limburg, a French oil tanker, in October 2002. Ships sometimes do not report
piracy because they fear that no country will bother to investigate crimes in international waters.

Naval vessels often discourage pirates but rarely want to capture and detain them in international waters.
The US navy recently caught and detained pirates who attacked a Thai fishing vessel near Somalia, but had
to release the men because neither the Thai government nor any other would put them on trial. Where ships
have been seized and crews kidnapped off Somalia, shipping companies simply pay the ransom demands.

About 90% of world trade is carried by sea. Cost-cutting has made modern cargo ships more vulnerable
than ever to attack, according to Andrew Linington of Numas, the ship officers’ union in London. There are
only 20–24 crew members on modern container ships. Usually, just two crew patrol the bridge at night. ‘You
can have ships the size of two football pitches and at any one time you will have just five or six people up
and working,’ says Linington.

Few companies are willing to pay for security measures such as non-lethal electric fences or sonic weapons.
As well as being small in number, modern multinational crews are poorly paid. Many boats use Filipino crew
members, who take home $400 a month. For that money, few captains expect their crew to risk their lives by
defending their ship. Low wages also lead to the occasional inside job: crew members can be tempted to pro-
vide pirates with information on freight and opportune times to strike. Even oceans full of warships have seen
an increase. There were no attacks in Iraqi waters in 2004, yet last year there were 10 opportunistic assaults
on oil tankers and cargo vessels near Basra. Piracy provides a juicy example of soft targets for terrorists. It
would only take couple of major incidents in a key area – such as the Suez canal – to cause chaos.

‘Piracy isn’t fantasy,’ says Linington. ‘It is happening on a weekly basis. It is an advertisement to terrorists
that it is easy to attack something that is so crucial to world trade.’

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Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Are these statements true or false according to the text?

1. Only about a quarter of a container ship’s crew are up and working at any one time.
2. Container ships would be a difficult target for terrorists.
3. Crew members are expected to risk their lives by defending their ships.
4. Storming a moving ship requires the kind of skills used by special forces.
5. The 17th century was the ‘golden age’ of piracy.
6. Shipping companies usually report piracy incidents to their insurance companies.
7. It is cheaper to lose $20,000 than to pay an increased insurance premium.
8. There are international arrangements to tackle piracy.

4 Vocabulary – find the verb

Find the verb that means …

1. to enter a room suddenly (para 1)
2. to put something in your pocket in order to steal it (para 1)
3. to like something very much (para 2)
4. to attack someone after hiding and waiting for them (para 2)
5. to force someone who is attacking to move back or stop attacking (para 2)
6. to chase (para 6)
7. to hit something very hard, usually when it is moving fast (para 6)
8. to arrest (para 7)

5 Vocabulary – verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the text.

1. trigger a. one’s life

2. repel b. a crime

3. take c. an alarm

4. regain d. a loss

5. investigate e. strength

6. bear f. advantage

7. pay g. an attack

8. risk h. a ransom

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Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced

6 Vocabulary – word-building

Complete the table.

Verb Noun (person) Noun (thing) Adjective

1. n/a pirate

2. seclude n/a

3. attack n/a

4. rob n/a

5. vary n/a

6. investigate n/a

7. secure n/a

8. hijack n/a

7 Discussion

What measures should countries adopt to defend themselves against pirates?

12
An end to malaria?
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Put the words back

These words have been removed from the text. Put them back into the text - anywhere they will logically
and grammatically fit. Note that they are in the original order.
potential also about major new neglected

Cheap anti-allergy drug offers hope of malaria cure

A drug developed to treat allergies has been identified by US researchers as a cure for malaria. Tests in
mice show that the antihistamine astemizole kills the malaria parasite. It is licensed for use in people, so it
could be developed for use as a malaria drug in 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can
be made at rock-bottom prices.
The breakthrough has excited researchers because of the cost of developing other anti-malarial treatments.
“Time and money are roadblocks when it comes to developing drugs for diseases like malaria,” said David
Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. One study of drug development costs in
the 1990s estimated that each drug that reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in
research and development.

2 Find the words

Look at the text again and find the words or phrases that mean:
1. a medical condition in which your body reacts badly to something you eat, breathe or touch
2. a drug used to treat an allergy
3. a small living creature that lives inside another animal and feeds on it
4. very low costs
5. obstacles

3 Collocations

Match the verbs with the nouns or noun phrases. Check your answers in the text.
1. treat a. a new drug
2. develop b. a disease
3. cure c. the market
4. reach d. an allergy

4 Word game

Re-order the letters to make words from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. aarmail
2. aseapirt
3. tntape
4. mepratlacichau
5. erscheerars

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An end to malaria?
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Put the words back
A drug developed to treat allergies has been identified by US researchers as a potential cure for malaria. Tests
in mice show that the antihistamine astemizole also kills the malaria parasite. It is licensed for use in people, so it
could be developed for use as a malaria drug in about 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can
be made at rock-bottom prices.
The breakthrough has excited researchers because of the cost of developing other anti-malarial treatments. “Time
and money are major roadblocks when it comes to developing new drugs for neglected diseases like malaria,”
said David Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. One study of drug development costs
in the 1990s estimated that each drug that reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in research
and development.

2. Find the words

1. allergy
2. antihistamine
3. parasite
4. rock-bottom prices
5. roadblocks

3 Collocations
1. d; 2. a; 3. b; 4. c

4 Word game
1. malaria
2. parasite
3. patent
4. pharmaceutical
5. researchers

14
No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Pre-Reading 1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these words from the text.

asylum threaten appeal funding
vouchers slum prohibited deport

1. A is a very poor area in or around a city.

2. If someone says that they will do something very bad to you if you don’t do what they say, they

you.

3. If something is not permitted, by law, it is .

4. People who are in danger in their own country sometimes move to another country and ask for

, or the right to stay there in safety.

5. Money that is provided by a government or organization to help people is called .

6. To is to formally ask a court to change its decision.

7. When a government forces someone to leave the country, they them.

8. are pieces of paper, instead of money, that let people buy what they need.

2 Pre-reading 2 Guess the facts

Do you think these statements are true or false?

1. The president of Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe.
2. Political refugees have to ask for permission to stay in Britain.
3. If they don’t get it, they can stay in Britain anyway.
4. If they fail to get permission the first time, they can ask for another hearing.
5. The British attitude to refugees from Zimbabwe has never changed.

Now read the article and see if you were right.

No going back to Mugabe by Alison Benjamin 1

1
I first met Thomas last spring, when I asked him to write an article about living underground in Britain. He
had applied for asylum, afraid for his life in Zimbabwe because Robert Mugabe’s youth militia, the Green
Bombers, threatened to kill him for leaving their organisation.
2
Now, at the beginning of the summer, he looks happy and relaxed, living with his new partner, Tanya, in a
village in East Anglia. But it has been a long, hard journey surviving as a persona non grata in Britain. And it
is not over yet.

15
No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced
3
After his final appeal for asylum was rejected in 2004, Thomas lived rough in Manchester; on friends’ floors
and in a disused factory with other failed asylum seekers. One night, five white youths attacked him and
left him with bruised ribs and a swollen eye. But he wouldn’t go to the police. “I was terrified that they would
send me back to Zimbabwe.”

4
Shaken by the attack, he went to Glasgow to stay with friends, but an old illness forced him to go to hospital.
He was afraid to give his real name, so he didn’t attend his check-up, went back to Manchester and slept
in the bus station. The following day he contacted Refugee Action - the charity that had helped him with his
asylum case. But hostels in Manchester can’t take people like Thomas who can’t receive state funding, so
they had to send him to a homeless hostel in Liverpool. “It was full of drug addicts,” says Thomas. “There
was a massive room with lots of beds. Five o’clock, they gave me dinner, and six o’clock you had to be in
bed. I was scared of the other residents. They made racist jokes. I couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning
I took the first bus back to Manchester.” He spent his second night in the bus station before another friend
let him stay.

5
At this time, the asylum and immigration tribunal judged that failed asylum seekers deported to Zimbabwe
would be in danger. This gave Zimbabweans refugee status, and Thomas reapplied for asylum. But his
claim was rejected. His case worker at Refugee Action appealed, and Thomas was invited to attend an
appeal hearing in London.

6
He won the appeal, and returned to Manchester ready to move into a hostel and receive government food
vouchers, instead of having to rely on handouts from friends and charity, but it was another two months
before anything arrived. Three days before Christmas, he was finally given a room in a National Asylum
Support Service [Nass] hostel. But it was a disgusting place to live. “My bedroom floor was covered in
water, the kitchen ceiling leaked, there was mould growing everywhere.” And the first food vouchers didn’t
arrive until Christmas Eve, when the only supermarkets that accepted them were closed. “I spent Christmas
Day ill with hunger,” he says.

7
The new year, however, looked more promising: Thomas was transferred to a better- maintained Nass
hostel, and then he heard that his sister, who he hadn’t seen for three years since escaping from Zimbabwe,
was living in the Midlands. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “She had left the same night as myself, after the
Green Bombers had beaten me up in front of my family. None of us had heard from her.”

8
He remembered Sonia as a big woman. Now 43, also a failed asylum seeker, she was tiny. “We hated each
other when I was growing up,” Thomas laughs. “But now I just wanted to be with her. She is the only family I
have here.”

9
He has one brother still in Zimbabwe and another who died last year. Another brother and two other sisters
are in South Africa, where his mother now lives, too. Her house in Zimbabwe was destroyed by Mugabe’s
so-called slum clearance programme.

10
Thomas met Tanya through a mutual friend while he was staying with Sonia, and they clicked immediately.
She invited Thomas to move in with her and her four young children. With Tanya at work all day, Thomas be-
came a house husband. “It’s the happiest I have ever been,” he beams, clutching Tanya’s hand. They plan
to marry, but say they don’t want to tie the knot until Thomas has his refugee status. “I don’t want anyone to
think we are getting married so I can stay,” he insists. “She’s been there for me, more than anyone else in
my life. She took me in when I had nothing.”

16
No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced
11
Thomas is desperate to find work to support his new family, but asylum seekers are prohibited from
working. Five months on, the Home Office has told him nothing about his case. The uncertainty is making
him nervous. “It’s the not knowing what is going on that is stressful,” he says. In April the government
obtained permission to send failed asylum seekers back to Zimbabwe, and later this legislation was
confirmed, allowing it to forcibly remove up to 7,000 people.

12
What will he do if the Home Office does start deporting failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe? Thomas says:
“It’s harder now. I have a family here, but I’ll have to go underground again. No way am I going back.” And
Tanya? Without hesitation, she replies: “I’ll go wherever he is.”

Names have been changed. Thomas’s article, and more on asylum seekers, can be found at
SocietyGuardian.co.uk/asylumseekers

3 Comprehension check

Put these events in the order in which they happened.

a. Thomas went to Liverpool.
b. He went to live in East Anglia.
c. He was attacked by five young white men.
d. He was a member of the Green Bombers in Zimbabwe.
e. He met Tanya.
f. He went to live in Manchester.
g. He went to his appeal in London.
h. He went to Glasgow.
i. He met his sister in the Midlands.

4 Vocabulary Development 1 Collocations

Match the nouns on the left with their collocations on the right.
1. asylum a. clearance
2. state b. status
3. refugee c. hearing
4. drug d. husband
5. appeal e. addicts
6. food f. funding
7. slum g. vouchers
8. house h. seekers

17
No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced

5 Vocabulary Development 2 Find the word

Find words or expressions in the text that mean:

1. someone who is not wanted in a particular place:

2. badly hurt, leaving a blue mark on the skin:

3. when part of your body becomes much bigger than usual, it is

4. upset and frightened:

5. a place where homeless people can stay:

6. green, blue or white bacteria growing on food or wet walls:

7. got on well and felt attracted to each other:

8. gives a big smile:

9. get married:

6 Discussion

How do you feel about Thomas’s situation?

What is your country’s immigration policy?
Do you think countries should have limits to the numbers and types of immigrants it accepts?
What kind of immigration policies do you think are ideal?

18
Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key Words

Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words below.

flicker affection disinclined cuddle up cajole
deter conviction disobedient perpetuate widower
1. If you do something with , you do it with the feeling or appearance of being confident or
certain about it.
2. A person deliberately does the opposite of what someone in authority has told them to do.
3. A is a man whose wife has died.
4. A is a small, sudden movement.
5. If you are to do something, you are unwilling to do it.
6. is a feeling of liking and caring about someone
7. If you a process or a situation, you make it continue.
8. If you to someone, you sit or lie with your body against theirs because you want to feel
warm, protected or loved.
9. If you someone into doing something, you persuade them to do it by encouraging them
gently or being nice to them.

10. When something you from doing something, it makes you decide not to do it.

2 True or False?

Decide whether you think these statements are true or false and then read the article to see if your
predictions were correct.
1. Arranged marriages are commonplace in Indonesia.
2. Disasters like the tsunami are reducing the numbers of arranged marriages.
3. The tradition of arranged marriages is likely to die out soon.
4. Divorce rates are rising in Indonesia.
5. When a woman dies, their older sister often marries the widower.

“I do (not know who you are)”

Indonesian parents still pick children’s marriage partners
By John Aglionby in Bumi Agung

When Tri Cayono and Yanti caught sight of each other, their reactions were hardly what one would expect from
two people on their wedding day. Yanti greeted her future husband with a handshake and the merest flicker of
a smile. He gave a nod and moved on. The affection level barely rose throughout the evening. Yanti and Tri did

19
Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced
not kiss. They were disinclined to cuddle up, even when cajoled by the photographer. This reflects the
traditions that persist in many parts of Indonesia. Not only had Yanti, 22, a restaurant cook, and Tri, 24, a
farmer, just met, they barely knew anything about each other. “Er, what does he like to do in his spare time?’
Yanti asked a cousin the day before the wedding.

Two months ago Tri announced he wanted to marry a girl from central Java. “I think they’re cooler and
more fun,” he said. That he did not know any did not deter him. When an acquaintance, Fajar, said he had
a cousin, Mursiyati, who might be appropriate, Tri accepted immediately. Pressured by her parents into
accepting Tri’s offer - his possession of a 11/4-acre (0.5 hectare) farm being a tempting prospect for her
labourer father - Mursiyati agreed to the match. A month later Mursiyati met someone she liked and married
her new boyfriend instead. But Tri was still determined to marry a central Java woman and Fajar felt he had
to provide one.

So early in June the family came up with Yanti, a cousin. Again land proved the crucial factor. “As soon as
I heard her voice, saw her photo and learnt she was a cook, I knew that she was the woman for me,” Tri
said, without conviction. Yanti said she was “happy and excited” at the prospect of marrying Tri, but her
father, Saulusmin, was not. “I mean they haven’t even met - how can they get married?’ he said. But he did
not dare to stand up to his wife, Gina. “She would have got so angry with me if I’d objected it would not have
been pleasant,” Saulusmin said.

It is impossible to know how many Indonesians end up in such marriages. Saman, the cleric who married
Yanti and Tri, said “extreme” stories such as theirs, where the couple had not met, comprised perhaps 1% of
marriages. “But there are many where the children do what they’re told,” he said. Tini, a maid in Jakarta who
ran away after her parents tried to force her, at the age of 15, to marry a 28-year-old, reckons about a third
of all unions in her district are undertaken without full consent.

World Vision, an international aid agency, describes the practice as “still common” and experts say it is
unlikely to die out soon. “It’s the tradition and it’s hard to go against traditions,” said Gadis Arivia, of the
women’s group Jurnal Perempuan. “Parents don’t believe in modern practices, particularly when they see
divorce rates going up. On the daughter’s part if you obey your parents you are supported. The disobedient
ones have a much harder life.”

Indonesia’s string of recent natural disasters and communal conflicts have also perpetuated the tradition,
said Samsidar, a commissioner of the National Commission for Violence Against Women. “It’s traditional
in situations where women have died for their younger sisters to look after their children, and this usually
means they have to marry the widower,” she said. There is also a strong economic side to it. “After
something like the tsunami many people were in a very bad way financially,” Samsidar said. “So we saw
a lot of people hurrying to marry off their children to make their own lives that much easier.”

Back in Bumi Agung, Yanti was continuing to put a brave face on it. “As long as I don’t have to go to work
again - it’s his job to provide for me - and can have a couple of children, then I’ll be happy,” she said.
“And I’ll probably be able to come back and visit once a year.”

20
Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced

3 Comprehension Check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. When Tri and Yanti saw each other at their wedding
a. they were overjoyed to see each other
b. they didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence
c. they greeted each other in a rather formal way

2. Tri didn’t marry his friend’s cousin because

a. her father said his farm wasn’t big enough
b. she decided to marry someone else
c. she wasn’t from central Java

3. Yanti “put a brave face on” things. This means:

a. she tried to hide the fact that she was disappointed
b. she was enthusiastic
c. she was optimistic about the future

4. What has the effect of natural disasters and communal conflicts been?
a. they have resulted in a continuation of the tradition of arranged marriages
b. they have resulted in a reduction in the number of arranged marriages
c. they have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of arranged marriages

4 Vocabulary Find the word

Find the word that means:

1. another word for hardly (para 1)
2. a word that means attractive and making you want to have it (para 2)
3. another word for most important (para 3)
4. a general word for priest (para 4)
5. another word for permission (para 4)
6. another word for series (para 6)

21
Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced

5 Vocabulary Phrasal verbs

Match the phrasal verbs with their meanings.

1. come up with a. not allow yourself to be bullied by someone else

2. stand up to b. care for

3. end up c. produce or provide something that someone else wants

4. die out d. oppose

5. go against e. find oneself finally in a particular situation

6. look after f. become less common and then disappear completely

7. marry off g. secretly leave a place because you are not happy there

8. run away h. find a husband or wife for someone

6 Vocabulary Prepositions

Fill the gaps in these phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.

1. catch sight

2. full consent

3. believe

4. provide

5. violence

6. conviction

7 Discussion

Do you agree with the idea of arranged or forced marriages? Make a list of points for and against the practice.

22
Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key Vocabulary Verbs

Match these verbs from the text with their definitions.

1. to recruit a. to say that something is true even though it has not been proved

2. to blackmail b. to make someone in authority lose their power

3. to prompt c. to become weaker

4. to topple d. to remove someone from a position of power in order to take that position

5. to unearth e. to move someone to a job at a higher level

6. to fade f. to cause something to happen or be done

7. to target g. to get someone to join an organization

8. to allege h. to focus your attention on a particular group of people

9. to promote i. to make someone do something by threatening to tell people embarrassing

10. to oust information about them

j. to discover something that people had kept secret

2 What do you know?

Choose the best answer and then check by looking in the text.
1. Of what country was Nicolae Ceausescu leader?
a. Bulgaria b. Hungary c. Romania

2. Where is Transylvania?
a. Croatia b. Romania c. Bulgaria

3. n what year was Ceausescu removed from power?

a. 1979 b. 1989 c. 1999

4. What was the name of the Romanian secret police?

a. KGB b. STB c. Securitate

23
Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced
Ceausescu’s police forced children to become spies
by Daniel McLaughlin in Budapest

The secret police of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu recruited thousands of children to spy on
schoolfriends, parents and teachers, according to communist-era archives. They show that the Securitate
blackmailed children into becoming informers in the late 1980s, as the whiff of liberalisation in the Soviet
bloc prompted Ceausescu to tighten his grip on the country.

The files have prompted calls for an inquiry into why many agents who allegedly recruited the child spies
continued working for the security services after Ceausescu was toppled and executed in 1989. “In every
county there were complex networks of these children, aged between 12 and 14,” said Cazimir Ionescu, a
member of the state council created to study the Securitate archives. A Romanian historian, Marius Oprea,
unearthed a cache of such files in the Transylvanian town of Sibiu, the 2007 European Capital of Culture,
which was run like a fiefdom in the 1980s by Ceausescu’s son, Nicu.

“In Sibiu in 1989 the Securitate recruited 830 informers; 170 were under 18,” Mr Oprea said. “On the basis
of Sibiu, you could say perhaps 15% of the whole country’s informers were children.” Historians believe the
Securitate had hundreds of thousands of collaborators on its books by 1989, as Soviet power faded in eastern
Europe. “What kind of information could these children give, except on family, teachers, and so on?” Mr Oprea
asked. “This shows that, by then, the Securitate was being used to control its own ordinary people.”

The children were expected to tell Securitate handlers about their friends’ and families’ opinions on the
Communist party, and whether they listened to western radio stations, had contact with foreigners or made
jokes about Ceausescu.

“In the 1980s the situation in Romania made it hard to recruit anyone with appeals to patriotism, so they
blackmailed people, even children, with things they had done wrong at school or with information they
threatened to use against them,” Mr Oprea said.
The secret police targeted intelligent and sporty children, whose participation in teams and clubs gave them
access to many teachers, other children and their parents. “This was incredible abuse,” Dan Voinea, the
public prosecutor investigating the case, told Romanian reporters.

Several alleged recruiters were promoted in the secret police after 1989, and some brought their young
spies to work with them when they left school. “This is a tragedy which must not only be brought to light but
must also have clear consequences for the perpetrators,” said Stejarel Olaru, a historian working with Mr
Oprea at the state institute for studying communist crimes.
Mr Oprea found evidence of the child-spy programme soon after 1989, but at that time found no appetite for
such revelations among the ex-communists who seized power after the fall of Ceausescu and stayed quiet
for 15 years. Only when reformers ousted the old guard in 2004 elections did the Securitate archive begin
opening. Access is now increasing under pressure from the EU, which Romania hopes to join in January.

24
Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced

3 Comprehension Check

Are these statements True or False according to the text?

1. Ceausescu became more authoritarian in the late 1980s as a result of liberalization in the Soviet bloc.
2. Those agents who recruited child spies were sacked after Ceausescu was executed.
3. Ceausescu’s son ruled the town of Sibiu in a very liberal way.
4. The child spies gathered information on their own families and teachers.
5. The Securitate didn’t care whether people made jokes about Ceausescu.
6. The Securitate relied on patriotism rather than blackmail to recruit spies.
7. Intelligent and sporty children were of particular interest to the Securitate.
8. The Securitate archives remained unopened for 15 years after the death of Ceausescu.

4 Find the Word

Look in the text and find:

1. a noun which means a slight smell or sign of something. (para 1)
2. an expression which means to increase one’s control over. (para 1)
3. a noun which means a quantity of things that have been hidden. (para 2)
4. a noun which means an area that someone controls completely. (para 2)
5. a noun meaning the right or opportunity to have or use something that will bring you benefits (para 5)
6. a noun meaning someone who does something harmful, illegal or dishonest. (para 6)
7. an expression meaning publicise. (para 6)
8. a noun meaning the process of letting people know something that was previously a secret. (para 7)

5 Vocabulary Word Building

Complete the table.

verb noun (person) noun (activity)

1. collaborate
2. recruit
3. investigate
4. blackmail
5. participate
6. prosecute
7. perpetrate
8. reform

25
Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced

6 Pronunciation Word Stress

Put these words from the text into two groups depending on their stress patterns:
inquiry foreigner reporter communist execute
ordinary opinion recruiter tragedy institute

1. o 0 o 2. 0 o o

7 Discussion

Can you think of any situation when it is right for people to spy on their friends, family and school or
workmates?

26
Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Pre-Reading 1

Have you heard of Ségolène Royal?

What do you know about her?
What would you want to know about a possible future president of France?

2 Pre-Reading 2 Key Words

Fill the gaps using these words from the text.

outraged a clique an icon an elite the left erupt taboos hierarchical

1. A famous person who represents a particular idea is sometimes called .

2. A society or organization where levels of status are very important is .

3. People whose political ideas are more socialist than conservative are known as .

4. A problem or difficult situation that suddenly gets much worse, can , like a volcano.

5. is a small group of people with a lot of power or influence.

6. She shocked and annoyed people; she them.

7. is a small group of people who seem very unfriendly to others.

8. are subjects that a group or society agrees they should never talk about.

Now read the article and see if you were right.

Madame La Présidente?
Could Ségolène Royal become France’s first female head of state, asks Angelique Chrisafis

1
In a sports hall in a small town outside Bordeaux, a crowd of more than 1,000 fans suddenly leapt to their feet,
arms in the air, and began stamping and clapping the furious rhythm of a second world war Italian partisan
song: “Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao, ciao, ciao!” From the back of the hall, smiling benevolently, waving
to the beat, stepped La Bella, Ségolène Royal.

2
In less than a year, Royal, the 53-year-old mother of four and head of the Poitou-Charentes regional government,
has rocketed from relative obscurity to the top of the opinion polls. She is now the only serving MP in France’s
top 50 list of most-loved personalities, and an icon of France’s celebrity gossip magazines. They revel in her
personal story of triumph over adversity: the shy teenage daughter of an ultra-Catholic, authoritarian army
colonel who brutally punished his children and believed women should stay at home like his wife, has grown
up to wage war on French male chauvinism.

27
Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced
3
Royal has challenged the hierarchical system of the male-dominated French left. Rather than wait around
helping the ageing men who run the socialist party - “les éléphants” - she has attracted cult status and an
army of devoted supporters of her movement, Désirs d’Avenir - “Wishes for the Future”. They tirelessly
campaign for her unpaid, and believe that she alone can rescue France from the depression and glaring
social inequalities of 12 years under President Jacques Chirac.

4
France certainly has problems. Youth unemployment is high, violent crime is rising and many fear that last
year’s riots in the run-down, immigrant suburbs, where teenagers say racism ruins their lives, could rapidly
erupt again. The centre-right presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, the charismatic interior minister, is
making no secret of trying to appeal to far-right sympathisers with his tough position on immigration.

5
Royal’s huge popular support makes her seem the only Socialist capable of winning the presidential race.
But the elephants will not go down without a fight. They say she is inexperienced, and her popularity cannot
last. “It is going to be nasty,” admits one Royal supporter.

6
Like the last Socialist president, François Mitterrand, to whom she was once adviser, Royal is focusing on
the provinces, touring the country’s regions and promising to shift power away from the Paris elite. In one
village she so charmed more than 200 wine-makers who face losing their vines as Europe tries to drain its
surplus wine-lake that the old ladies lined up to kiss her and have their photographs taken with her.

7
“It’s all about the people,” she smiled between meetings in Bordeaux. I asked her what kept her going:
“My need to rise to the challenge of the trust that the people, the country, has given me.”

8
At the exclusive Ecole National d’Administration, training ground of the French ruling class, Royal was in
the same class as the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. There, too, she met her partner, François
Hollande. Later, she held ministerial positions for education, environment, family and childhood, while he
became Socialist party leader in 2002. They have four children but have never married.

9
For months, Royal was ridiculed for vaguely promoting family values and public morals instead of defining
her political ideas. Now she is clarifying her vision to modernise France, but, like Mitterrand, she somehow
manages to swing both right and left. She outraged the left by suggesting a form of military service for
unruly teenagers and criticising the Socialists’ treasured 35-hour working week, yet she is strongly pro-trade
union, and has promised to ban genetically modified food. An admirer of Tony Blair within a party that was
always suspicious of him, she is nonetheless against the war in Iraq. “My diplomatic policy would not consist
of going and kneeling in front of George Bush,” she has said.

10
“I don’t think she always wanted to be president. I think she stood up because she had another message to
give,” says MEP Gilles Savary, part of Royal’s inner circle. “The Socialist party in France has been a clique
of men, cut off from the population. She’s not afraid to confront the taboos that the party once left alone,
like security, crime, and France’s ghettoes.” Royal’s promise is to give the people a voice in a society where
those in power have stopped listening to the street.

11
Socialist rivals have criticised her for avoiding difficult issues. “What is the first measure you’ll take if you’re
elected?” she was asked in Bondy, but she neatly sidestepped the question. Before she left, she promised
the crowd, “Power won’t change me.” But many outside the Segosphere still wonder who Royal really is,
and what won’t be changing.

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

28
Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced

3 General comprehension

These statements about the article are all false. In what way? (The paragraph numbers are written after
each one, to help you.)
1. Ségolène Royal is the only female Member of Parliament in France (1)
2. She has joined the French army to fight against men. (1)
3. Her supporters are satisfied with Jaques Chirac’s government. (3)
4. Nicolas Sarkozy is a hopeful man who welcomes immigrants. (4)
5. People once thought she was stupid for supporting family values and morality. (9)
6. Tony Blair’s party was always suspicious of him. (9)
7. Ms Royal didn’t like sitting down to give people messages. (10)
8. She wants everyone in the country to have a microphone. (10)
9. Most people in France have never heard of her. (11)

4 Vocabulary Development Near synonyms

The writer uses a lot of near-synonyms to avoid repetition in her writing.

Put the words below into eight groups that have a similar meaning in this text. The first one is done for you:
1) fans, supporters, sympathizers
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

the people ideas question to confront sympathizers message the street

regions issue personalities provinces Royal’s inner circle challenged
vision supporters The Segosphere celebrity fans (a) measure

29
Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced

5 Useful Phrases 1 Word Order

Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text.

1. both / to / left / swing / and / right
2. surplus / drain / lake / wine / its / to
3. without / will / fight / down / a / go / not
4. listening / stopped / the / to / have / street
5. away / elite / shift / to / from / Pairs / power / the
6. no / of / appeal / trying / secret / is / to / making / to
7. ruling / training / French / of / class / the / ground
8. kneeling / front / going / Bush / in / and / of / George
9. relative / opinion / rocketed / obscurity / has / from / the / to / polls / of / top / the

6 Useful Phrases 2 Meaning

Now match the phrases you have rearranged to the meanings given below:
a. has quickly become very popular; people had hardly heard of her before.
b. will not give up their position of power easily
c. to take some control away from the capital and give it to the regions
d. is openly working to attract
e. to reduce the huge amounts of wine it produces
f. where the leaders of France are educated
g. to have opinions that are both socialist and capitalist
h. following US policies without question.
i. no longer take any notice of what ordinary people want

7 Discussion

Does your country have a woman president?

If not, do you think you are likely to have one in the future?
Why / why not?
What do you think of Ségolène Royal’s policies?
Would you vote for her?
Why / why not?

30
The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these words from the text.

backlash atrocity mass murderer scrutiny carnage

rainbow nation apartheid intruder slaughter killing spree

1. is the political system that existed in South Africa, in which only white people had
political rights and power.
2. A/An is a country that contains people of many different races.
3. A/An is someone who has killed several people.
4. A/An is a short period of time in which a large number of people are killed.
5. To a group of people is to kill them in a very violent way.
6. is a situation in which there is a lot of death and destruction.
7. A/An is a cruel and violent act.
8. Public is careful examination of someone or something by people in general.
9. A/An is someone who enters a place where he or she is not allowed to go, especially
to commit a crime.
10. A/An is a strong angry reaction to something that has happened.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether the statements below are true or false. Then look in the text and check your answers.

1. Apartheid has come to an end in South Africa.

2. Many black and coloured people were killed during this political system.
3. A large number of black and coloured people have taken revenge for the killings.
4. Most white people have expressed sorrow about what happened during the apartheid regime.

The Colour of Crime in South Africa

Sympathy for an apartheid mass murderer highlights the refusal of whites to take responsibility for the past
By Rory Carroll

South Africa’s most prolific mass murderer takes another sip of coffee, eases back in his chair and pauses
when asked if it is true he shot more than 100 black people. “I can’t argue with that,” says Louis Van Schoor.
“I never kept count.” Seated at a restaurant terrace in East London, a seaside town in the Eastern Cape, the
former security guard is a picture of relaxed confidence, soaking up sunshine while reminiscing about his
days as an apartheid folk hero.

31
The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced
Hired to protect white-owned businesses in the 1980s, he is thought to have shot 101 people, killing 39, in
a three-year spree. Some were burglars; others were passersby dragged in from the street. All were black
or coloured, the term for those of mixed race. Convicted of murder but released from jail after 12 years, Van
Schoor is unrepentant. “I was doing my job - I was paid to protect property. I never apologised for what I
did.”

He is not the only one. The whites in East London who turned a blind eye to his killing spree have not
apologised and whites in general, according to black clerics and politicians, have not owned up to
apartheid-era atrocities. That reluctance to atone has been laid bare in a book published last month,
The Colour of Murder, by Heidi Holland, which investigates the bloodsoaked trail not only of Van Schoor
but also his daughter, Sabrina, who hired a hitman to murder her mother.

The macabre tale is likely to reignite debate about those whites who shun the spirit of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and mock rainbow nation rhetoric. “The story is of a family but it is also the story
of a divided country and of the people of that country trying to find new ways to live with each other,” says
Holland.

Since his release two years ago, after benefiting from a sentence reduction for all convicts issued by Nelson
Mandela when he was president, Van Schoor, 55, has slimmed down, shaved off his beard and kept a low
profile, working as a cattle farm foreman outside East London.

During his 1992 trial white residents displayed “I Love Louis” stickers decorated with three bullet holes
through a bleeding heart. Sympathy endures, says Van Schoor. “The reaction is 90% positive. Strangers
say, ‘Hey, it’s good to see you.’” Magistrates and the police, grateful for the terror instilled in black people,
covered his tracks until local journalists and human rights campaigners exposed the carnage as apartheid
crumbled.

Van Schoor was convicted of seven murders and two attempted murders. Upon his release in 2004, Van
Schoor said he had found God and, when prompted, expressed sorrow to the relatives of his victims.
“I apologise if any of my actions caused them hurt.” In an interview last week, he tried to clarify his position.
“I never apologised for what I did. I apologised for any hurt or pain that I caused through my actions during
the course of my work.”

Thanks to his changed appearance and low profile he has faced no backlash. Few black people recognise
him, including the bookseller who took his order for The Colour of Murder. When Van Schoor gave his name
the penny dropped. “She nearly fell off her chair,” he says, smiling.

Married four times and now engaged once more to a local woman, Van Schoor, speaking softly and warily,
says he is “happy and content”. But he does not seem to approve of the new South Africa. “Everything has
changed - people’s attitudes, the service in shops, it’s not the same.”
On the contrary, lament black leaders, one crucial thing has stayed the same: the refusal of many whites to
admit past sins.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate, recently said the privileged minority that once feared
retribution had not shown enough gratitude for peaceful inclusion in a multi-racial democracy. Nkosinathi
Biko, the son of the murdered anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, noted the dearth of white voices during the
recent commemorations of the June 1976 Soweto uprising, when police slaughtered black schoolchildren.
A liberal white commentator, Max du Preez, called the silence embarrassing. Nowhere is it more deafening

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The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced
than East London.

Van Schoor’s rampage was made possible by a white establishment that made no outcry as his victims piled
up, many of them impoverished children such as Liefie Peters, 13, gunned down while hiding in the toilet of
a Wimpy restaurant after breaking in to steal cash. Eating a burger yards from where Van Schoor cornered
his prey, Jacques Durandt, a 33-year-old white former member of the security forces, defended the killer.
“I won’t say he’s a murderer. For him it was a job.”

Wannitta Kindness, a 36-year-old white taxi driver parked outside the restaurant, says the security guard
might have fired even if the intruder was white. “But you don’t find white people breaking into places.”
Others echoed the refrain: denied jobs reserved for black people, targeted by criminals, harassed in the
street, victims in South Africa these days have pale skin and they see no reason to apologise. “The blacks
don’t want equality,” says Kindness. “They want to be on top.”

East London does boast at least one white advocate of racial harmony: Van Schoor’s daughter, Sabrina,
25. While her father was in jail she shocked the white community by dating black men and giving birth to a
mixed-race child. In 2002, in a grisly irony, she hired a black man to slit her mother’s throat, claiming she
was a racist bully. Convicted of murder and sent to the same prison as her father, Sabrina Van Schoor is
seen as a martyr by some black people. She seems popular among fellow inmates at Fort Glamorgan jail.
“That girl, she’s not like the whites outside of here. She’s OK,” says one inmate.

Speaking through iron bars, Sabrina Van Schoor, powerfully built like her father, says she is nervous about
her family history coming under public scrutiny again because of the book. “I’m afraid it might open old
wounds.”

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

3 Comprehension check

Match each sentence beginning with a suitable ending.

Beginnings Endings

1. Louis Van Schoor was sent to prison a. because he has kept a low profile.

2. He was released from prison b. when apartheid started crumbling.

3. During the apartheid regime no one knew about his c. so he does not think he should apologise for killing
rampage
intruders.
4. Magistrates and the police welcomed his killings
d. after being convicted of murder.
5. The truth about Van Schoor’s actions was revealed
e. because the police hid the evidence of his actions.
6. Van Schoor killed a lot of black people
f. while he worked as a security guard.
7. Van Schoor’s job was to protect property,
g. before completing his sentence.
8. So far, Van Schoor has faced no backlash
h. because he instilled terror in black people.

33
The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1 – Idiomatic expressions

Complete the idiomatic expressions in these sentences based on the text.

1. Van Schoor never count of the number of people he killed.

2. When he was freed, he slimmed down and shaved off his beard to keep a low .
3. The bookseller didn’t recognize Van Schoor but when he gave his name, the penny .
4. The police covered his because they were grateful for the terror he instilled.
5. Most whites in East London have turned a eye to Van Schoor’s killing spree.
6. Their indifference has been laid in a book by Heidi Holland.
7. Van Schoor’s daughter is fearful that Holland’s book might open old .

Now match each expression with one of the explanations below.

a. To make something known that has been secret or hidden.

b. To try to stop people from noticing you.
c. To pretend not to notice something because you should do something about it but you do not want to.
d. To realize or understand something.
e. To make someone remember something bad that happened in the past.
f. To hide any evidence that you were somewhere or did something.
g. To remember or record a number as it changes over a period of time.

5 Vocabulary 2 – Taking responsibility and saying you are sorry

The text uses several expressions to state that most whites don’t take responsibility or say they are sorry for what
happened during the apartheid regime. Use the chart to classify the expressions below. There are four expressions
that you do not need to use.

1. reminisce about something

2. apologise for something
3. own up to something
4. atone
5. shun something
6. express sorrow about something
7. boast about something
8. admit something
9. be repentant about something
10. mock something

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The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced
Take responsibility for something Say that you are sorry for something

Now match the expressions you didn’t use with the explanations below:

a. To make something seem silly

b. To deliberately avoid something
c. To think about experiences in your past
d. To have something good

6 Vocabulary 3 – Abstract nouns

Fill in the blanks with abstract nouns derived from the verbs or adjectives in parentheses.

1. Seated at a restaurant, Van Schoor is a picture of relaxed . (confident)

2. Van Schoor is now free because he benefited from a sentence . (reduce)
3. He has slimmed down and shaved off his beard to change his . (appear)
4. Black leaders complain about the whites’ to admit past sins. (refuse)
5. The whites have shown no for their in a multi-racial democracy.
(grateful, include)
6. Some people think that blacks don’t want . (equal)
7. With grisly , Van Schoor’s daughter hired a black man to kill her mother. (ironic)

7 Discussion

How do you think Van Schoor should be dealt with? Should he and the whites in general apologise for the
killings during the apartheid period? Why/Why not?

35
Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using the key words from the text.
sleigh goods cracker consignment capital wrapping paper

1 A is a vehicle pulled by animals and travels on snow. In the UK and the USA, people say that

Santa Claus rides one.

2 A is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small toy,

a paper hat and a joke inside. It’s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.

3 is special paper used for wrapping presents.

4 are objects produced for sale.

5 is money or property that you use to start a business or invest.

6 A is an amount of goods delivered.

2 What do you know?

Choose an option and then look in the text for the correct answer.
1 How do the majority of trade goods arrive in a country like Great Britain?
a) by plane
b) by truck
c) by ship

2 Which of the following statements do you think is true?

a) China exports more to Britain than Britain exports to China.
b) China imports more from Britain than Britain imports from China.
c) China and Britain are equal in terms of imports and exports.

3 Large quantities of Chinese imports to other countries are

a) good news for Chinese workers.
b) bad news for European manufacturers.
c) good news for job creation

4 One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is

a) waste plastic
b) Christmas presents
c) batteries

36
Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 3 l Advanced

Christmas is coming - all the way from China

by John Vidal

Christmas is coming not in sacks or sleighs this year but on board the biggest ship afloat, on its maiden
voyage from China. To the relief of children, parents and shopkeepers everywhere - but to the despair of
European manufacturers - mountains of crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper,
food and every imaginable gift are currently steaming past Spain on the way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, aboard
the Emma Maersk 3.

If anything should happen to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high behemoth, that is as wide as a motorway and is
powered by the largest diesel engine ever built, then Christmas might have to be cancelled. The manifest for
the 3,000 containers of goods that it will drop off in Britain on its way to mainland Europe reveals the largest
single consignment of festive cheer ever delivered - a floating world of British desires and necessities.
Crackers, poker tables, bingo sets, drum kits, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks by the score will
be delivered in astonishing quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000
rechargeable batteries and 22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.

There are potato mashers, slotted spoons and graters to cook with, leather sofas to recline on, new
spectacles to watch new televisions by, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be especially pleased; 138,000
tins of catfood - variety unknown - are on their way, as are mountains of dogfood. But the ship and its cargo
was the subject of an intense row over the increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green
MEP for southeast England, said it was a “microcosm of globalisation gone mad”. “All these goods could have
been made in Europe,” said Ms Lucas “Whole sectors of global trade are now being dominated by China.
The real cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the environment, the markets
destroyed in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost.” Britain exported more than GBP 2.8bn of
goods to China last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn, a 30-fold increase on 1980. The UK is Europe’s
third-biggest trading partner with China but in global terms represents less than 2% of China’s trade.

While the Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is by far the largest container ship ever
built, Yentian port, from which it set off last month, now exports nearly three times that many containers
every day.

Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and found its implications terrifying. “These are
the goods that Europe used to make. We are faced with a country that has an almost absolute advantage
in an increasing number of sectors. This a triumph for multinational capital, not for Chinese workers who, as
well as suffering from some of the worst labour exploitation on record, are also losing jobs at a phenomenal
rate,” she said.

The Emma Maersk, the first of a fleet of seven equally large container ships, will soon be on its way back to
China taking back the detritus of a throwaway Christmas. One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is now
waste plastic - which is turned back into soft toys and decorations.

GBP: Great Britain Pounds

bn: billion

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

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Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 3 l Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Decide whether these sentences are true or false according to the text.
1 The Emma Maersk 3 is a Chinese ship.
2 The ship contains 3,000 containers for all of Europe.
3 There are a lot of animals on board the ship.
4 China doesn’t have very much trade with the UK compared to other countries.
5 Yentian port exports a maximum of 11,000 containers every day.
6 Europe could have made many of the products on board the Emma Maersk 3.
7 The Emma Maersk 3 will return to China empty.
8 Soft toys and decorations are two products that can be made from waste plastic.

4 Vocabulary Extremes
Find examples of the following ways of expressing extremes in the text.
Using a superlative (e.g. the biggest ship)
Using a metaphor or simile (e.g. mountains of crackers, toys…)
Using extreme adjectives (e.g. astonishing quantities)
Using large numbers to create effect (e.g. 1,866,000 Christmas decorations)

5 Vocabulary Definitions
Find a word or expression which means the following.
1 done for the first time (paragraph 1)
2 going quickly (paragraph 1)
3 a giant animal (paragraph 2)
4 in quantities of twenty (paragraph 2)
5 argument (paragraph 3)
6 something small that represents something larger (paragraph 3)
7 begin a voyage (paragraph 4)
8 waste (paragraph 6)

6 Vocabulary Collocations
Fill the gaps using adjectives. Check your answers in the text.

1 cheer 2 blocks 3 batteries

4 row 5 trade 6 countries
7 partner 8 rate 9 toys

7 Discussion
Do you think that this is an example of “globalism gone mad”?
Do you think people consume too much at Christmas?
Is it wrong for Britain to import so many goods from China?

38
Another country
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:
carnage snippet antithesis agrarian schism
predominant heinous excommunicate shun peeping Tom

1. If something is , it is extremely evil.

2. A is an occasion when one group divides into two groups because of a disagreement.

3. is a situation in which there is a lot of death and destruction.

4. If you someone, you no longer allow them to be a member of a particular church.

5. A is a small piece of something, especially information or news.

6. If you someone, you avoid them intentionally.

7. The of something is its exact opposite.

8. A is someone who enjoys secretly watching other people.

9. An society is one based on farming.

10. The group in a society is the main or most important one.

2 What do you know?

Read these statements about the Amish and decide if they are True or False. Then read the text to check
your answers.
1. The Amish live in New York state, USA.
2. The Amish travel by horse-drawn buggy.
3. The Amish religion originated in England.
4. Amish people are opposed to everything modern.
5. Most Amish are farmers.
6. Most Amish teenagers who leave the Amish community never return.

Another country
Ed Pilkington on the extraordinary survival, and even prosperity, of the Amish in the modern world

In all the newspaper reports and hours of satellite television coverage devoted to last week’s carnage in
the schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, it was the little details that stood out and made you think.
The fact that the police had to use vans to take the parents to hospital to be at the bedsides of their mortally
wounded children because they refused to go by police helicopter. The scene of worried mothers timidly
peeking over the heads of television cameramen filming a press conference near the school: while the
pictures were being beamed instantly to Shanghai, they had to be there in person as they had no televisions
at home. There is something about those snippets of life in the Amish community of Lancaster county that is
strangely hard to deal with. On top of the sheer horror of the killing of five girls by a milk truck driver, there is
bewilderment. How can it be, in this digital age where news spreads at the speed of light, that people living

39
Another country
Level 3 l Advanced
within a few miles of the tragedy were still learning by word of mouth what Charles Roberts had done hours
after he had unloaded his 9mm semi-automatic handgun?

How can it be that he chose to inflict his revenge for some insult he suffered at the age of 12 on girls from a
community whose very existence is the antithesis of the act he committed? The Amish are pacifist. At time
of war they are conscientious objectors, prepared for civilian duties but refusing anything military. The
community where Roberts exacted his revenge, 80km west of Philadelphia, has no police force and no
guns. In the United States that is quite something. Anyone who can recall Witness, the 1985 Harrison Ford
thriller, will have a feeling for the setting of Lancaster county. Green rolling hills with Holstein cattle,
weather-beaten barns, unadorned buildings, and black horse-drawn buggies. Add to that the ‘plain’ dress,
as they call it and it all looks like what it is – a community of agrarians largely unchanged since the late 19th
century. Note the word largely. Among the many misrepresentations of the Amish is that they are a group
that is completely opposed to modernity.

In reality, they are the product of change, some of it dramatic. The emergence of today’s Amishes is a story of
many schisms. Their parent faith, Mennonitism, was born of a split in Switzerland in 1525, when the Mennonites
broke from the Protestant reform. Later, in Switzerland in 1693, the Amish broke from the wider Mennonite
community in another dispute. The Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania around the 1730s to benefit from the
Quaker William Penn’s offer of protection for persecuted religions. The Old Order of Amishes, the predominant
group of people in Lancaster county, was then formed by another schism when they broke from their fellow
members in a dispute over the technological changes brought by the industrial revolution. The Old Order was
determined to take from technology only those elements that matched their interpretation of the Bible.

“It is easy to get it wrong about the Amish,” says Peter Seibert, president of the Heritage Centre of Lancaster
county and a non-Amish. “They are not about putting up walls to block out the modern world. What they are
about is adapting their community to modernity in order to preserve its essential being as a simple agrarian
society. They will pick and choose what they want from our world”.

So they will not have television, not because it is intrinsically heinous but because they do not want their
children exposed to sexual and violent images. They travel by buggy to keep the community together and
avoid the disruptive social influence of the motor car. And there is some modernity in Lancaster county. They
will not have phones in the house, but they will in the nearby shed where they run a woodworking business.
They won’t have electrical gadgets but they will have battery-powered cash registers and even laptops.
That’s a subtlety lost in the peeping-Tom relationship that the “real world” has with the Amish.

“Tourists can be quite disrespectful. They walk right into Amish houses or schools assuming that they are
there as an attraction. They have no sense that this is a living community that greatly prizes its privacy”, says
researcher Stephen Scott. The joke is, as Scott points out, that the Amish are the ones who benefit. They may
dislike being treated as zoo animals but they also make a great deal of money out of the flow of tourists.

That duality was illustrated most vividly a couple of years ago when a reality TV company shot Amish in the
City, a show in which a group of Amish teenagers were taken out of their communities and transported to
downtown LA. Yet the Amish faith could accommodate even that. The teenagers were going through what is
known as “running around years”, the period between the end of school, at the age of 14, and the entry into
the church through baptism in one’s late teens or early 20s.

In those five to eight years of freedom the children are not officially members of the church so cannot be
shunned or excommunicated. The result is a community that is thriving. 80% of the teenagers who move
away from the community eventually return. The main pressure on the Amish is now population growth,
coupled with a lack of arable land on which they can subsist.

40
Another country
Level 3 l Advanced
None of this will be any comfort to the parents and neighbours of the five girls who died in last week’s shooting
or the others who remain critically ill. Any comfort will come from their faith itself. Seibert puts it well: “For them
this is God’s will, and that is all. Our world is all about the individual. Theirs is all about the community before
God and the better life they will lead after death. That is hard for us to comprehend, but that is how it is.”

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer:

1. Why was Charles Roberts’ act the antithesis of the Amish way of life?
a. Because he exacted revenge for an insult against him at the age of 12.
b. Because the Amish are pacifists and he used violence against them.
c. Because the police force in Lancaster county has no guns.

2. According to Peter Seibert, the Amish

a. are largely unchanged since the 19th century.
b. put up walls to block out the modern world.
c. are trying to preserve their simple agrarian society.

3. Why don’t the Amish have television?

a. Because they don’t want their children to see sexual and violent images.
b. Because they believe television is intrinsically evil.
c. Because they are opposed to everything modern, including television.

4. What is the main problem the Amish now face?

a. Peeping Tom tourists.
b. The influence of modernity all around them.
c. A growing population and a lack of land for farming.

4 Vocabulary FInd the Word

Look in the first two paragraphs of the text and find these words or expressions:
1. a phrasal verb meaning to be easy to notice because of being different (para. 1)
2. a verb meaning to look at something quickly, especially secretly or from behind something (para. 1)
3. a noun meaning a feeling of being extremely confused (para. 1)
4. a phrase meaning someone who refuses to take part in a war because they are morally opposed to it (para. 2)
5. an adjective meaning damaged or made rough by being exposed to wind and rain (para. 2)
6. an adjective meaning not decorated or made to look more attractive (para. 2)
7. a noun phrase meaning a light vehicle pulled by a horse (para. 2)
8. a noun meaning a false or inaccurate description of someone (para. 2)

41
Another country
Level 3 l Advanced

5 Vocabulary Collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column

1. to exact a. a weapon

2. to beam b. a business

3. to unload c. revenge

4. to run d. a television programme

5. to shoot e. a better life

6. to lead f. television pictures

6 Vocabulary Nouns and Adjectives

Complete the table

Noun Adjective

1. disruption

2. subtle

3. timid

4. bewilderment

5. tragedy

6. conscience

7. modern

8. disrespect

7 Discussion

Imagine that you lived in a society that was isolated from the modern world. What things would you miss? What
aspects of the modern world would you be happy to avoid?

42
Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.
lucrative mercenary quest evict trivialize
backlash hub commodity illicit pariah

1. The of an activity is the most important place where it takes place,

e.g. a financial .

2. If there is a against something, there is a strong negative reaction to it.

3. If something is , it is not allowed by law.

4. A business or activity is one that makes a lot of money.

5. A is a long and difficult search for something.

6. A state is a country that other countries dislike and avoid.

7. A is a soldier who fights for any army that will pay him.

8. A is something that can be bought or sold, especially basic food products or fuel.

9. If you someone, you force them to leave their home or their land.

10. If you something, you make it seem less important or serious than it really is.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.
1. The world’s biggest diamond company is De Beers.
2. The film Blood Diamond stars Leonardo DiCaprio.
3. 750,000 people died in the civil war in Sierra Leone.
4. The Kalahari desert is in South Africa.
5. Half the jobs in Botswana are directly linked to the diamond trade.
6. The diamond market was worth over $2 billion in Britain last year.

Hollywood caught in gem warfare

Jeevan Vasagar on a DiCaprio film that threatens to take the shine off Africa’s diamond trade

The diamond industry has begun a campaign to safeguard its lucrative trade from what it fears will be a blitz
of negative publicity resulting from a Hollywood film about the trade in African ‘conflict diamonds’.

De Beers, the world’s biggest diamond company, plans to spend $15m on publicity, in advance of the
December release of Blood Diamond, which threatens to make diamonds as unfashionable as fur.

In the film Leonardo DiCaprio plays a South African mercenary who goes on a quest in pursuit of a rare pink
diamond through rebel-held territory in Sierra Leone, a west African country whose civil war was fuelled by

43
Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced
diamond smuggling, and resulted in 75,000 deaths In real life DiCaprio has become the poster boy for those
who believe that the diamond industry is wrecking lives. The film has inspired a band of Kalahari Bushmen
to advertise in the Hollywood magazine Variety, attacking the diamond business. The Bushmen, who claim
they have been expelled from ancestral land in Botswana to make way for diamond mining, appealed for
DiCaprio’s support. In an open letter to the star they said: “After diamonds were found on our land we were
evicted . . . Those diamonds are a curse for us. We hope you will use your film to let people know that we
too are victims of diamonds and we just want to go home.” In turn, Hollywood has been accused of trivialising
the truth about African diamonds by some in the gemstone trade. Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World
Diamond Council, said: “This movie, drawing attention to this subject, is something that happened years
ago, something that was remedied.”

The industry has set up a website aimed at countering a backlash from the film. Diamondfacts.org tells of
the benefits the industry has brought to its workers and enlists Nelson Mandela, who describes the diamond
industry as “vital” to southern Africa’s economy.

In Botswana 25% of jobs are directly or indirectly linked to diamonds, while in Namibia the diamond trade is
the second-biggest employer after the government, the industry says. The Bushmen are not the only African
voices drawn into the debate. Patrick Mazimhaka, a Rwandan diplomat who is now deputy chairman of the
African Union, wrote in a US newspaper recently saying that blaming diamonds for fuelling conflict “misses
the fact that plenty of good can be accomplished with earnings from natural resources. With the right
ingredients . . . good governance and careful leadership . . . commodities have been a tremendous force for
continental good.”

The diamond trade’s campaign is meant to safeguard a market worth $2.3bn in Britain last year. Diamond
retailers make a fifth of their sales at Christmas, when the film is due for its US release. It is expected to
come out in Britain in the New Year. “We don’t see [the film] as damaging so long as it’s dealt with in a
historical perspective,” Izhakoff said. The industry claims that conflict diamonds now make up less than 1%
of those sold, compared with 4% in the late 1990s, the period in which the film is set. Conflict diamonds
have been almost eliminated by the Kimberley Process, a scheme that requires governments to track rough
diamonds from mines to the polished stage, the industry says.

“This system that we’ve put together is not perfect, but we are making every effort to make it so,” Izhakoff
said. “We don’t want one stone out there that’s a conflict stone.” But not everyone agrees that the problem
has been solved. After peace deals ended several African civil wars, the main source of conflict diamonds
is Ivory Coast, where rebels control some mining areas. According to the pressure group Global Witness,
gems smuggled out of Ivory Coast into Mali are being sold on to international dealers. Congo-Brazzaville
has been prohibited from diamond trading because of suspicions that it is a hub for smuggling, and though
the civil war is over in its neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still occasional fighting for
control of diamond mines and other minerals. Susie Sanders, Global Witness campaigner, said: “We’re
pushing for stronger internal controls to make sure that conflict diamonds can’t be smuggled into countries
that are [in the] Kimberley Process and exported. There is lots of cross-border smuggling. The control
systems just aren’t strong enough.”

Jewellers in London’s Hatton Garden diamond district said they had been approached directly by smugglers
offering west African diamonds. Malcolm Park-Carpenter, manager of Channings jewellers, said: “The only
thing we can do is make sure they’re non-conflict through our sources. We don’t buy from Angola or anywhere
that it can be turned into arms. “Sierra Leone is one of the countries we don’t touch. We get people coming in
from there [saying]: ‘Do you buy rough diamonds?’. We say: ‘Where are they from?’ - [they say] ‘Sierra Leone’,
and we say ‘Get out’. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we don’t end up funding AK-47s.”

44
Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced
The shop manager’s answers revealed good intentions but inaccurate knowledge. Angola and Sierra Leone
have peace deals and can legitimately trade in diamonds, but illicitly offered gems may be conflict diamonds
from Ivory Coast.

There is a fear that controversy surrounding the film will provoke a backlash against all African diamonds, an
outcome both the industry and the campaigners want to avoid.
“It would be terrible if the film led to Sierra Leone being seen as a pariah,” said Sanders. “Quite a few African
countries with artisanal mining have weak control systems. It’s [the case] in West Africa and the Congo. “What
we really hope doesn’t happen is that people say ‘I’m not going to buy African diamonds’. What we want to do
is protect the legitimate trade from Africa.”

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer

1. ‘Conflict diamonds’ are:

a. uncut or rough’ diamonds.
b. diamonds produced in countries where civil wars are in progress.
c. diamonds produced by large mining companies.

2. The Kalahari Bushmen are opposed to diamond mining because:

a. they were evicted from their land to make way for diamond mining.
b. the diamond industry is wrecking lives.
c. there is a civil war in Botswana.

3. The diamond trade is worried about the film Blood Diamond because:
a. the film suggests that the diamond industry is violent.
b. the film might bring a lot of negative publicity to the diamond business.
c. the film shows a lot of violent images.

4. London jewellers don’t buy rough diamonds from conflict zones because:
a. they are not sure where the diamonds come from.
b. they are not sure if the diamonds are genuine.
c. they don’t want the money to be used to buy weapons.

45
Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced

4 Vocabulary Find the word

Find the words that mean the following:

1. a verb meaning to protect (para. 1)
2. a noun meaning a sudden attack (para. 1)
3. a verb meaning to make something worse, especially something unpleasant (para. 3)
4. a verb meaning to give someone the enthusiasm to do something (para. 3)
5. a verb meaning to evict or drive out (para. 3)
6. a verb meaning to correct or improve a situation (para. 3)
7. a verb meaning to achieve (para. 5)
8. a noun meaning the final result of a process (para. 10)

5 Vocabulary Adjectives + Nouns

Match the adjectives with the nouns. Check your answers in the text.

1. lucrative a. perspective

2. negative b. lands

3. rebel-held c. resources

4. ancestral d. war

5. natural e. trade

6. historical f. territory

7. civil g. intentions

h. good h. publicity

6 Word Grammar Prepositions

The following words are all followed by prepositions. Fill the gaps with a suitable preposition and check your
answers in the text.

1. spend money 4. draw attention

2. result ; 5. linked

3. accuse someone 6. prohibited

7 Discussion
Should moral and ethical considerations prevent trade in certain commodities even though the lives of local people
may depend on these commodities (e.g. the fur trade)?

46
US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.
baby boomer guesswork census tectonic shift veer
dispersed bedrock sprawl stunned contentious

1. Urban is a part of a town or city that spreads into the country in a way that is ugly and not
carefully planned.

2. A is an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in a country and
record other information about them.

3. If an issue is , it causes disagreement between people or groups.

4. A is someone born between 1945 and 1964 when there was a rapid increase in the number

of births in the USA.

5. A is literally a large movement in the surface of the earth but can also mean a fundamental
change in something.

6. means the ideas and principles on which a belief or a system is based.

7. If you are by something, you are very shocked or upset.

8. is the process of trying to find the answer to something by guessing.

9. If a population is , it is spread over a wide area and does not live in the same place.

10. To means to suddenly move in a different direction.

2 What do you know?

Try answering the questions before reading the text.

1. What is the current population of the USA?

a. 250 million b. 300 million c. 350 million

2. In what year did the US population pass the 200 million mark?
a. 1957 b. 1967 c. 1977

3. When will the US population reach 400 million?

a. 2023 b. 2033 c. 2043

4. What percentage of Americans live in urban or suburban areas?

a. 80% b. 60% c. 40%

5. What percentage of the world’s energy does the USA use?

a. 25% b. 35% c. 45%

Now look in the text and check your answers.

47
US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced
US population passes 300 million
by Ed Pilkington in New York

A baby born in America this week took the nation’s population to the 300 million mark. It’s highly possible that
the baby was the child of a Latin American immigrant, perhaps in Los Angeles. In 1967 Life magazine identified
the 200 millionth American as Robert Ken Woo, a fourth-generation Chinese-American from Atlanta. That was
pure guesswork too. But there is a real core to this story. America is crossing a population landmark and it is
generating the kind of self-reflection that major birthdays or anniversaries do. The US census bureau calculates
that one American is born every seven seconds, one dies every 13 seconds, and an immigrant arrives (net)
every 31 seconds. Add those together and you get a net population gain of one person every 11 seconds.
Over the past 100 years the US has seen the largest population growth in its history, fuelled by the baby
boomers of the postwar years. And the trend is set to continue through this century, though the rate of growth
is expected to peak about 2070. If it took 39 years to put on the last 100 million, it will take 37 years to put on
the next, to reach 400 million.

Behind those figures lie shifting demographic plates that are seeing the composition of America, its human
make-up, and even its culture and lifestyles, change dramatically. The first of these tectonic shifts is where
Americans live. The demographic centre of gravity is slowly veering from the northeast to the south and
west. The fastest-growing states are Nevada, Arizona and Texas. Nor is the population evenly dispersed.
More than half live in 10 of the 50 states, most of them along the coasts.

William Frey, a population expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said the US was gravitating to a new
sunbelt beyond Florida, Texas and California. “As the coastal areas become crowded, people have started to
move further inland to places like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Tennessee.” The obverse of this trend is that the
Great Plains, the cultural bedrock of cowboy America, is becoming increasingly a myth. The midwestern states
are emptying as the population becomes more urbanised. Or, more accurately, suburbanised. In the past 100
years the proportion of Americans living inside the urban and suburban sprawl doubled to 80%. The concept of
the ‘frontier’, of existence under an open sky, still exists in movies, but fewer and fewer people live it.

It is also having an impact on the environment. According to the Centre for Environment and Population, an
independent research body, the effects of a growing population are concentrated in the outskirts of urban
areas and are amplified by Americans’ belief that bigger equals better. “When I travel abroad and come
back, I’m always stunned by the consumption here. Cars are bigger, people travel further distances, they
build bigger houses. This is the ultimate disposable consumer society,” the centre’s director, Victoria
Markham, said. It is often quoted that the US has 5% of the world’s population but uses 25% of its energy.
Less known is that each American now occupies about 20% more land for housing, schools, shops, roads
and so on than he or she did 20 years ago. Almost 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) of farmland are concreted
over every day, and the rate is increasing.

Which leads to the most contentious seismic movement: America’s ethnic composition and the role of
immigration. In 1970 the newly immigrant proportion of the American people stood at 5%. Today it is 12.1%
and rising. The largest single national group of immigrants is Mexican, and the largest ethnic group Hispanic.
By 2050 it is projected by the census bureau that the proportion of non-Hispanic whites will have fallen from
69% in 2000 to about 50%, Hispanics will have doubled to 24%, Asians also to 8%, while the proportion of
African-Americans will increase marginally to 14%. For Mr Frey, the rise of the Hispanic community, with
their younger average ages and higher birthrates, is a saving grace in a rapidly ageing white population.
For Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a research group focusing on immigration, the population growth
is “federally forced”. He said the long-term increase could be put down entirely to immigration. “If we had

48
US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced
zero net immigration we would never have reached 300 million we’d be about 245 million today.” The result,
he says, is more congestion and restrictions and the decline of individualism, freedom and space. In short,
America is turning into Europe.

© Guardian News & Media 2006

3 Comrehension check

Are these statements True or False according to the text?

1. Without immigration the population of the United States would be approximately the same as it is today.
2. The USA uses a quarter of the world’s energy resources.
3. The largest ethnic group in the USA is the Hispanic group.
4. More than one in ten people in the USA is a new immigrant.
5. Each American occupies 20% more land than they did 20 years ago.
6. The current rate of growth in the US population will continue after 2070.
7. California is the fastest growing state in terms of population.
8. More than 1,000 hectares of farmland is concreted over every day.

4 Vocabulary Find the word

Find the words which mean:

1. an adjective meaning the opposite of gross (para. 1)
2. a verb meaning tending to move towards (para. 3)
3. a noun meaning the opposite of something (para. 3)
4. an adjective meaning relating to towns and cities (para. 3)
5. a noun meaning effect or influence (para. 4)
6. an adjective meaning the best or most perfect example of something (para. 4)
7. a verb meaning to calculate how big something will become in the future by using information available now
(para. 5)
8. an adverb meaning by only a very small amount (para. 5)

5 Vocabulary Chunks

Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. a American generation Chinese fourth
2. its largest the growth population history in
3. gravity centre of the demographic
4. consumer ultimate society the disposable
5. ageing a rapidly population white
6. on group immigration a research focusing

49
US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced

6 Grammar focus Prediction

Complete the sentences by using an appropriate form of the verb in brackets. Check your answers in the text.

1. By 2050 the proportion on non-Hispanic whites from 69% to about 50%. [FALL]

2. The number of Hispanics to 24%. [DOUBLE]

3. The rate of growth to peak around 2070. [EXPECT]

4. It 37 years to put on the next 100 million. [TAKE]

5. The proportion of African-Americans marginally to 14%. [INCREASE]

6. America into Europe. [TURN]

6 Discussion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of immigration? Should people be allowed to live where they want to
in the world?

50
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:

clogged irritability disruption boom potholed

inaugurate detour odyssey gridlock berate

1. If you ____________ something, you introduce or start something new or important.

2. ____________ is a situation in which there are so many cars on the roads that traffic cannot move.

3. If you ____________ someone, you criticise them in an angry way.

4. ____________ is a problem or situation that interrupts something and prevents it from continuing or from

working properly.

5. An ____________ is a long journey during which many things happen.

6. A ____________ is a way of going from one place to another that is not the shortest or the usual way.

7. ____________ is a state where people easily become annoyed or impatient.

8. If a street or road is ____________, there are a lot of holes in it and it is difficult to drive along it.

9. If streets are ____________ with traffic, they are completely blocked.

10. A ____________ is a sudden major increase in trade or profits in a particular country or region.

2 What do you think?

The article gives advice on what to do if you are stuck in a traffic-jam. Which three of these six pieces of
advice do you think will be given?

1. read a newspaper

2. close your eyes

3. take deep breaths

4. do a crossword puzzle

5. eat a snack

6. punch someone

Now look in the text and check your answers.

51
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
by Rory Carroll in Caracas
Eat a snack, read a book, do a crossword, listen baked beneath a tropical sun, can appear to
to music and try not to punch or shoot anyone. be the site of a battle against geography and
That is the advice psychiatrists are giving to climate.
commuters in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas,
in the wake of traffic jams that are among the The government, flush with oil revenues, has
world’s worst. inaugurated bridges and metro lines in the
run-up to next month’s presidential election,
An explosion in car ownership has clogged but many are unfinished, including a bridge
motorways and side-streets from early morning connecting Caracas to the airport, which is
until late at night, paralysing entire districts and forcing detours through hillside barrios that can
driving motorists to distraction. Doctors say the turn the 16-mile trip into a five-hour odyssey.
stress is inflicting physical and mental damage
on drivers and leading to increased incidents of Everyone agrees that gridlock is getting worse
road rage, including shoot-outs. every month. Taxi drivers say their income has
been slashed because they are down from
Those who try to beat the traffic by leaving home an average of five to three fares a day. ‘lt’s
at 5 am have been warned that they are likely impossible. If someone asks to go into especially
to suffer sleep deprivation, which will diminish heavy traffic I say no, it’ll take up half my day,’
productivity, increase irritability and harm sex said Fredy Afanador, a veteran cabbie.
lives.
President Hugo Chávez has berated previous
A sense of anxiety, anguish and tension is infrastructure ministers but praised the
spreading, Robert Lespinasse, the former head incumbent for doing a good job. And he is
of the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, told the also looking further afield for help. In return for
daily, Ultimas Noticias. A psychologist, Hernan discounted diesel for London buses, the city’s
D’Oliveira, said that the disruption in mental mayor, Ken Livingstone, is to share insights on
processes was making people less open to congestion charging and other policies in an
criticism. Armed motorcycle gangs who ambush attempt to end the traffic nightmare.
stationary motorists in broad daylight do not
help.
© Guardian News & Media 2006
In the absence of an urban planning miracle,
people have been advised that when traffic
grinds to a halt they should have a drink or
something to eat and occupy their minds with
music, a book, newspaper or crossword.

An oil-fuelled economic boom has boosted

vehicle ownership in Venezuela, with sales
in the last year alone doubling to 300,000. In
the absence of new roads, the swollen traffic
streams into a creaking, potholed infrastructure
which has been neglected for years.

Caracas, squeezed into a long narrow alley

between skyscrapers and shantytowns and

52
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer.

1. Car ownership in Venezuela has increased rapidly as a result of…

a. a government road-building programme.

b. a boom fuelled by oil sales.

c. next month’s presidential election.

2. Leaving home at 5 am is likely to…

a. allow drivers to beat the traffic jams.

b. cause various health and personal problems.

c. stop people sleeping.

3. The problem is made worse by…

a. stress.

b. a sense of anxiety and tension.

c. a neglected infrastructure.

4. Psychiatrists are advising people to…

a. leave home earlier.

b. try and relax.

c. punch or shoot other drivers.

4 Vocabulary Expressions

Match these expressions from the text with their meanings.

1. in the wake of

2. to drive to distraction

3. road rage

4. to grind to a halt
5. a creaking infrastructure

6. flush with money

53
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced
7. in broad daylight

8. congestion charging

a. violent behaviour by a driver towards another driver

b. a system under which drivers pay to enter a particular part of a city

c. with more money than you usually have

d. to annoy someone so much that they become angry

e. happening after an event or as a result of it

f. in the middle of the day when people can be easily seen

g. a transport system that is close to collapse

h. to move more and more slowly until everything stops

5 Vocabulary Collocations

What verbs go with these nouns? Check your answers in the text.

1. ____________ a crossword

2. ____________ damage

3. ____________ productivity

4. ____________ one’s mind

5. ____________ irritability

6. ____________ entire districts

7. ____________ sleep deprivation

8. ____________ advice

6 Vocabulary Find the word

Find the word that means:

1. fights using guns (para. 2)

2. a lack of something you need or want (para. 3)

3. a feeling of great physical or emotional pain (para. 4)

4. the period of time just before an important event (para. 8)

5. poor districts of a city in a Spanish-speaking country (para. 8)

54
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced
6. reduced drastically (para. 9)

7. taxi-driver (para. 9)

8. the person holding a particular job or office at the present time (para. 10)

7 Discussion
What do you think are the best ways to reduce congestion and prevent traffic-jams in major cities?

55
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match the words to the definitions.

a tunic (n) incarnate (adj) sleigh (n) nickname (n)

anonymity (n) to reveal (v) portly (adj) debilitated (adj)

1. fairly fat _______________

2. a long loose shirt _______________

3. a vehicle pulled by animals and used for travelling over snow _______________

4. to show something that was hidden _______________

5. a situation in which a person’s name is kept secret _______________

6. an informal name that isn’t a real name _______________

7. weak, without strength _______________

8. in human form _______________

2 What do you know?

1. Choose suitable words to complete the description of Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is a portly/slender, old/young man. He has white/grey hair and a white/red beard. He wears a big

white/red hat and tunic and carries a big box/bag full of presents/sweets for children at Christmas. He rides

a plane/sleigh, which is pulled by twelve moose/reindeer. He visits people’s houses the night of 25th/24th of

December to deliver the gifts.

2. Read the text quickly and find the connection between the following words. The first one is done for you.

a) Larry Stewart and Santa Claus

Larry Stewart dresses as Santa Claus every year to distribute money to poor people.
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

b) $1.3 million and 26 years

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

56
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced
c) $16,000 and cancer

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

d) a yellow car and the church

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

e) 1979 and a waitress

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

57
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced
Secret Santa reveals his identity book telling his story, Santa’s Secret: A Story of
at last Hope, written by a local journalist.

Generosity born out of own experience of Stewart’s generosity was born out of his own
poverty. Illness forces benefactor to retire from experience of poverty. In the early 1970s, poor
giving role. and jobless, he resorted to living in his car, a yel-
by Dan Glaister in Los Angeles low Datsun 510. One day he finally mustered the
courage to approach a church to ask for help. He
For years the portly man dressed in a red tunic was told that the person who could help had left
and sporting a large white beard has been de- and he should return the following day.
lighting unsuspecting strangers with his extreme
generosity. But now Santa has been forced to “As I turned around, I knew I would never do that
hang up his sleigh bells and stay at home – but again,” Mr Stewart told Associated Press.
not before revealing his true identity. By the late 1970s Stewart had a job and some
Over the last 26 years, Larry Stewart, a 58-year- money, but he was still plagued by misfortune. In
old businessman from Kansas City, has given 1979, for the second year in succession, he was
$1.3m (£687,000) to strangers he met in the fired from his job in the week before Christmas.
street. He started by handing out $5 and $10 But when he saw a shivering, roller-skating
bills to people who seemed down on their luck. waitress at a drive-in restaurant, he realised that
With inflation and a rise in his own wealth – he were others worse off than him.
has made millions running a cable television and “It was cold and this waitress didn’t have on a
long-distance telephone service – the gifts rose very big jacket, and I thought to myself, ‘I think
to $100 bills. I got it bad. She’s out there in this cold making
But Mr Stewart always insisted on anonymity, nickels and dimes,’” he said.
never revealing his identity and earning him the He gave her a $20 bill.
nickname Secret Santa. This spring, however, he
was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, “And suddenly I saw her lips begin to tremble
which has since spread to his liver. The $16,000 and tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She
monthly cost of the chemotherapy is not covered said, ‘Sir, you have no idea what this means to
by his health insurance policy, and the treatment me.’”
has left Mr Stewart debilitated.
Stewart went to the bank, withdrew $200 and
So he has decided to reveal his identity in the drove around Kansas looking for people to give it
hope that he might inspire someone else to take to. The Secret Santa myth was born.
over his Santa duties.
© Guardian News & Media 2006
Mr Stewart still has a team of little helpers, who
in recent years have given out $100,000 travel-
ling between Chicago and Kansas City and he
has also trained four deputy Santas who this
year will hand out $65,000.

Over the years Stewart has become something

of a reclusive celebrity, featured in news reports
and appearing - in full costume – on Oprah
Winfrey’s television show, still hiding his identity.
“Why, you are Santa incarnate,” she told him.
There is a Secret Santa website and even a

58
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Match the sentence beginnings 1 to 6 to the endings a) to f).

1. Every year Larry Stewart has given money to…

2. Stewart went public this year…

3. Stewart works with…

4. Stewart hopes someone else…

5. Stewart decided to give people money…

6. He first gave money to…

a) a girl who was working outside a restaurant.

b) a team of other helpers at Christmas.

c) because he has cancer.

d) because he knew what it was like to be poor.

e) people he thought were unlucky.

f) will take over his job.

4 Vocabulary: Use of to

The word to has been taken out of these sentences. Can you put it back? The first one is done for you.

1. Santa has been forced↑hang up his sleigh bells ↑ to

2. He has decided reveal his identity.
3. I saw her lips begin tremble.

4. Stewart went the bank.

5. He handed out $5 and $10 bills people.

6. The gifts rose $100 bills.

7. He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, which has since spread his liver.

8. He hopes he might inspire someone else take over his Santa duties.

9. He resorted living in his car, a yellow Datsun 510.

10. One day he finally mustered the courage approach a church to ask for help.

59
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary: Patterns with to

Match examples from exercise 4 to patterns below. The first one is done for you.

1. verb + to + infinitive 1
2. verb + noun phrase + to + verb

3. verb + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

4. to + noun phrase

5. noun phrase + to + infinitive

6. verb + to + verb(-ing)

6 Vocabulary: Collocations

Correct the errors in the underlined collocations below. Check your answers in the text.

1. The reporter showed the true identity of his source.

2. The woman in the hospital bed next to mine was caught with cancer.

3. The news stories on the election show the President has won a second time.

4. The actor who plays Spiderman appeared at the film premiere in complete costume.

5. I finally collected the courage to take my driving exam. I failed.

6. I was laughing so hard that tears dropped down my cheeks.

7 Discussion

Philanthropy (donating money or aid to charity) has a long history and tradition in the United States. Is it common in

your country? Do you think it is a good thing?

60
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:

desalinated by-product fossil fuels irrigate vessel

enlightened undercut feasible vulnerable grid

1. If the price of a particular product ____________ another product, it is available at a cheaper price.

2. A ____________ is a set of wires than carry the electricity supply.

3. A ____________ is a product that is made as the result of making another product.

4. If something is ____________ it is possible or likely to succeed.

5. A ____________ is a container for liquids.

6. If water is ____________ , the salt has been removed from it.

7. If you ____________ land, you bring water to it through a series of pipes.

8. If something is ____________ , it is easily damaged by something negative or harmful.

9. Coal and oil are examples of ____________.

10. ____________ means sensible and modern.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements about energy are True or False. Then read the text to check your
predictions.

1. The sun’s rays produce the equivalent of 1.5 million barrels of oil per square kilometre.

2. Covering 5% of the world’s hot deserts with concentrated solar power (CSP) would provide the world’s entire
energy needs.

3. Alternating current cables are better than direct current cables for transporting electricity over long distances.

4. Nuclear power and fossil fuels could disappear by 2050.

5. Leading politicians, like Bush and Blair, are well aware of the potential of CSP.

6. CSP is five times cheaper than nuclear fusion.

61
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

Scientists say global energy crisis but all share the use of mirrors to concentrate
can be solved by mirrors and the the sun’s rays on a pipe or vessel containing
desert sun some sort of gas or liquid that heats up to about
400˚C and is used to power conventional steam
by Ashley Seager
turbines. The large mirrors create shaded areas
that can be used for horticulture irrigated by
In the Sahara desert is a vast source of energy
desalinated water generated by the plants. Cold
that can promise a carbon-free, nuclear-free
water produced for air conditioning means there
electrical future for all Europe, if not the world.
are three benefits. “It is this triple use of the
We are not talking about the vast oil and gas
energy which really boosts the overall energy
deposits beneath Algeria and Libya, or uranium
efficiency of these kinds of plants up to 80% to
for nuclear plants, but something far simpler -
90%,” says Dr Knies.
the sun. Every year it pours down the equivalent
of 1.5m barrels of oil of energy for every square This form of solar power is also attractive
kilometre. Most people think of solar power as a because the hot liquid can be stored in large
few panels on the roof of a house producing hot vessels, which can keep the turbines running
water or a bit of electricity. But according to two for hours after the sun has gone down. The
reports prepared for the German government, German reports put an approximate cost on
Europe, the Middle East and North Africa should power derived from CSP. This is now about $50
be building vast solar farms in North Africa’s per barrel of oil equivalent for the cost of building
deserts using a simple technology that more a plant. That cost is likely to fall sharply, to
resembles using a magnifying glass to burn a about $20, as production of the mirrors reaches
hole in a piece of paper than any space age industrial levels. It is about half the equivalent
technology. cost of using the photovoltaic cells that people
have on their roofs. So CSP is competitive with
Two German scientists, Dr Gerhard Knies and
oil, currently priced at about $60 a barrel.
Dr Franz Trieb, calculate that covering just 0.5%
of the world’s hot deserts with a technology Dr Knies says CSP is not yet competitive with
called concentrated solar power (CSP) would natural gas for producing electricity alone. But
provide the world’s entire electricity needs, if desalination and air conditioning are added,
with desalinated water for desert regions as a CSP undercuts gas, without taking into account
valuable by-product, as well as air-conditioning the cost of the carbon emissions from fossil
for nearby cities. Focusing on Europe, North fuels. Desert land is cheap and there is roughly
Africa and the Middle East, they say, Europe three times as much sunlight in hot deserts
should build a new high-voltage direct current as in northern Europe. This is why the reports
electricity grid to allow the easy transport of recommend a collaboration between countries of
electricity from a variety of alternative sources. Europe, the Middle East and Africa to construct
Britain could put in wind power, Norway hydro, a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid for
and central Europe biomass and geo-thermal. sharing carbon-free energy. Alternating current
Together the region could provide all its cables, which form the main electricity grids
electricity needs by 2050 with barely any fossil in Europe, are not suitable for long-distance
fuels and no nuclear power. This would allow a transport of electricity because too much is lost
70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from on the way.
electricity production over the period.
Dr Trieb, of the German Air and Space Agency,
CSP technology is not new. There has been a says the advantage of DC cables is that loss in
plant in the Mojave desert in California for 15 transport is only about 3% per 1,000 kilometres.
years. Others are being built in Nevada, Spain “Contrary to what is commonly supposed, it is
and Australia. There are different forms of CSP, entirely feasible, and cost-effective, to transmit

62
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

solar electricity over long distances.” He added:

“CSP imports would be much less vulnerable to
interruption than are current imports of gas, oil
and uranium.” The two reports make it clear that
an HVDC grid around Europe and North Africa
could provide enough electricity by 2050 to
make it possible to phase out nuclear power and
hugely reduce use of fossil fuels. An umbrella
group of scientists has been formed across
the region called the Trans-Mediterranean
Renewable Energy Cooperation (Trec) but
the idea has yet to excite the imagination of
governments.

Neil Crumpton, renewables specialist at Friends

of the Earth, said: “Most politicians on the
world stage, particularly Tony Blair and George
Bush, appear to have little or no awareness of
CSP’s potential, let alone a strategic vision for
using it to help build global energy and climate
security.” The Trec scientists hope the German
chancellor, Angela Merkel, will use next year’s
joint presidency of the EU and Group of Eight
leading economies to push for an agreement
on a European DC grid and the launch of a
widespread CSP programme. The outlook is
not promising. More than 30 countries last week
agreed to spend $13.5bn on an experimental
fusion reactor in France that critics say will not
produce any electricity for 50 years, if at all.

Dan Lewis, energy expert at the Economic

Research Council, calculates that CSP costs
$3m-$5m per installed megawatt, a fifth of the
cost of fusion. “Fusion is basically a job-creation
scheme for plasma physicists.” Mr Crumpton
agreed: “Nuclear power accounts for just 3.1%
of global energy supply and would be unlikely to
be able to provide more. Yet CSP could supply
30% or 300% of future energy demand far more
simply, safely and cost-effectively. In the wake of
the Stern report, the enlightened investment is
on hot deserts, not uranium mines or oil wells.”

© Guardian News & Media 2006

63
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How does CSP work?

a. mirrors concentrate the sun’s rays on pipes containing gas or liquid
b. mirrors reflect the sun’s rays into turbines
c. by creating shaded areas that can be used to grow crops

2. What are the potential by-products of CSP?

a. a high-voltage direct current grid
b. desalinated water for irrigation and air-conditioning
c. large industrial mirrors

3. What is the main problem faced by CSP?

a. it is expensive and difficult to install
b. most politicians are unaware of its potential
c. the deserts are too far away from Europe

4. Why does the report recommend collaboration between Europe, the Middle East and Africa?
a. because all three regions need electricity
b. because collaboration will mean CSP is introduced more quickly
c. because areas suitable for installing CSP plants are in the Middle East and Africa

4 Vocabulary 1: Types of energy

Match the terms for different types of energy or fuel with the definitions:

1. solar a. fuel derived from animals or plants

2. hydro-electric b. fuel derived from decayed plant matter

3. biomass c. fuel produced by changing the structure of atoms

4. geo-thermal d. power produced by water, especially by using dams

5. fossil e. power derived from the sun

6. nuclear f. power derived from natural hot water

64
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word

Look in the text and find:

1. an adjective meaning enormous (para. 1)

2. an adverb meaning hardly (para. 2)

3. a noun meaning growing garden plants (para. 3)

4. an adjective meaning the opposite of exact (para. 4)

5. a noun meaning a gas that goes into the air (para. 5)

6. a verb meaning to gradually stop using something (para. 6)

7. a noun meaning an idea about what the situation will be in the future (para. 7)

8. a noun phrase meaning happening after an event or as a result of it (para. 8)

6 Vocabulary 3: Chunks

Use prepositions to complete these phrases from the text.

1. take _______ account

2. collaboration _______ different countries

3. focus _______ something

4. a 70% reduction _______ CO2 emissions

5. competitive _______ oil

6. transport _______ long distances

7. nuclear power accounts _______ 3.1% of world energy supply

8. in the wake _______ the report

7 Discussion

Do you agree that CSP is the perfect solution to the world’s energy problems? What alternative sources of long-
term energy can you think of?

65
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced

1 Key adjectives

Match these adjectives from the text with their definitions:

1. horrific a. relating to large companies

2. traumatised b. disappointed and annoyed

3. destitute c. extremely violent

4. corporate d. upset, afraid or shocked

5. fabricated e. extremely disappointed

6. disgruntled f. shocking and upsetting

7. brutal g. without money or possessions

8. gutted h. made up or invented and untrue

2 Order of events

These events are all described in the text but they are not in the correct order. Read the text quickly and
put the sentences in the correct order.

a. Children at the school told the reporters their parents had been brutally murdered.

b. The donors included well-known figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela.

c. The programme has found that many of the “orphans” are living with their parents.

d. A US investigative TV programme made a film at a school in Soweto 5 years ago

e. The children’s stories prompted people to give millions of dollars to a special Trust.

f. Members of the Trust’s board have resigned and its school has been closed.

g. Now the TV programme has returned to Soweto to make another film.

66
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced
‘Angel of Soweto’ a fraud, TV show better cry more than the other days you have
claims been crying,” said the unidentified student.

Celebrity donors backed woman who set up Carte Blanche filmed at the school five years
school for traumatised orphans ago and went back to talk to some of the same
by Chris McGreal in Johannesburg children. Many recanted their original stories.
Lebogang Makheta claimed in 2001 that both her
parents were murdered in political violence. “My
To Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela and others
mother was crushed by a spear that cut across
who gave millions to help South African children
her stomach and my father was riddled with bul-
orphaned by apartheid-era violence or driven to a
lets,” she said at the time. Now Lebogang says
life of crime on the streets, the woman who dedi-
that was a lie.
cated her life to caring for them was the “Angel
of Soweto”. To the children she helped she was “I spoke to Mama Jackie and she told me that
known simply as Mama Jackie. whatever they ask me, I must say it the way she
wrote down because it would help us get spon-
Their horrific accounts of seeing parents butch-
sors and so forth,” she said. “I told myself I was
ered or resorting to prostitution to feed younger
just doing this for the benefits of sponsors and for
siblings prompted huge donations to Jackie
the benefits of us getting help for scholarships.”
Maarohanye and her Ithuteng Trust school to
She also told the programme in 2001 that she
provide shelter and an education to thousands of
was involved with drugs and gangsters. “None
traumatised and destitute children. The money
of that was true. It was all lies, just lies,” she now
came from famous donors such as Winfrey,
says.
who wrote a cheque for $1m during a visit to the
school last year, as well as corporate sponsors Lebogang’s mother, Phyllis Makheta, was sur-
including the US National Basketball Association. prised to discover that her daughter was suppos-
“I think Mama Jackie is a living angel on earth,” edly an orphan when she attended a fundraising
said Winfrey. function at the school. “I was there in the school.
I don’t fully understand English properly, but I
But now the school’s gates are bolted and
did ask them, even Jackie, why these children
America’s most influential talk show host, along
are crying and saying they are orphans, but we
with Mr Mandela and Bill Clinton, have requested
[parents] are here. She said: ‘Don’t worry, it is a
copies of a South African television documentary
drama.’“
that claims Ms Maarohanye pressured pupils into
reciting fabricated tales of murdered parents, Five years ago Lindiwe Thusi told Carte Blanche
rape and destitution in order to raise money, and that she saw her father’s body with his head cut
that donations to educate children went astray off. She now says: “That was a script we were
while students went hungry. given from Mama Jackie. “When different people
came we had to get ready and started crying and
The investigative TV programme Carte Blanche
say that whole story,” she told Carte Blanche.
showed that pupils who claimed to have seen
Lindiwe says her father is alive and serving in the
their parents killed are living with them, and
army. She also denied her earlier claims to have
those supposedly saved from the streets never
worked as a prostitute to feed her sisters and to
left home. One of a group of 45 children from
have been raped by a teacher.
the Ithuteng school who travelled to the US five
years ago as guests of Bill and Hillary Clinton Ms Maarohanye has refused to comment from
said they were made to appear before the United her large house in the south of Johannesburg,
Nations and recite false stories of hardship. “We but she told Carte Blanche that the accusations
went to the United Nations and [Ms Maarohanye] against her were a “smear campaign” by dis-
said that today you better cry seriously ... you

67
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced
gruntled former pupils. However, she was unable
to explain how it was that she described to the
media Lebogang Makheta’s parents as having
been murdered or the brutal killing of Lindiwe
Thusi’s father. She said no student was ever
forced to repeat false stories. “I never pushed a
child. I have never put a gun on a child’s neck. I
have never strangled a child. I have never said, if
you don’t go, this is what I am going to do. I have
never done that. You can never prove that I have
done that.”

The children’s accounts of hardship brought do-

nations pouring in from around the world. Some
of the sponsorship was intended to pay college
bursaries. But three years ago some donors, in-
cluding a large bank and a hotel group, broke off
dealings with the Ithuteng Trust after discovering
the bursaries were not reaching the students or
their colleges. Several former Ithuteng students
say they were forced to drop out of higher educa-
tion as a result of the donors suspending pay-
ment. A former finance officer at the University of
the Western Cape said others were reduced to
living on bread for lack of money. Donors started
paying the fees direct to ensure that students
were able to graduate.

The chairman of the Ithuteng Trust board, Joseph

Kganakga, has described the revelations as a
nightmare that left him angry and “totally gutted”.
He has resigned, along with two other board
members who said they had lost confidence in
Ms Maarohanye.

© Guardian News & Media 2006

68
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What did Carte Blanche discover when it revisited Soweto?

a. That the gates of the Ithuteng Trust school were closed.

b. That some of the children were admitting to telling lies five years earlier.
c. That some of the children’s parents were murdered in political violence.

2. What did Ms Maarohanye allegedly ask the children to do at the United Nations?

a. To visit as guests of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

b. To cry a lot as they told the stories about the murder of their parents.
c. To ask for money for the Ithuteng Trust school.

3. Why did some of the former Ithuteng students have to drop out of higher education?

a. Because the bursaries were not reaching them.

b. Because they were orphans.
c. Because some of the donors suspended payments to the Trust.

4. What is the main accusation against Ms Maarohanye?

a. That she encouraged the children to claim that they were orphans.
b. That she stole the money intended for the Trust.
c. That she told the children to cry a lot.

4 Vocabulary: Find the word

Find the words that mean:

1. to kill someone in a cruel and violent way (para. 2)

2. a general word for your brothers and sisters (para. 2)

3. locked firmly with a special device (para. 3)

4. to say a story that you have learnt (para. 3)

5. to say that something you said was not true (para. 5)

6. to press something so hard that it is damaged or destroyed (para. 5)

7. to kill someone by squeezing their throat (para. 9)

8. an amount of money given to someone to pay for their college studies (para. 10)

69
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced

5 Vocabulary: Prepositions

Complete these phrases using an appropriate preposition. Check your answers in the text.

1. to be driven _______ a life of crime

2. to resort _______ something negative (e.g. violence)

3. to dedicate one’s life _______ something

4. to make donations _______ an organisation

5. to pressurise someone _______ doing something

6. to make accusations _______ someone

7. to be reduced _______ living on bread

8. to lose confidence _______ someone or something

6 Vocabulary: Phrases

Match the phrases from the text with their meanings.

1. to go astray a. a series of attempts to damage someone’s reputation

2. riddled with bullets b. to arrive in large amounts

3. a smear campaign c. to become lost

4. and so forth d. shot a number of times

5. to drop out e. etcetera (= etc.)

6. to pour in f. to leave school or college before finishing your studies

6 Vocabulary: Discussion

Does the end ever justify the means? In this case, children living in poverty may have lied to get money from
wealthy individuals and organisations. Do you think what they are supposed to have done was justified?

70
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. Note that you may need to change the form of the word
(to a past participle, for example).

wrangling perennial dry run plummet dilute

unveil dwarf (vb) unprecedented ethos glitzy

1. If something ____________, it falls very quickly and suddenly from a high position.

2. If something is described as ____________, it has never happened or been experienced before.

3. If something is described as ____________, it has always existed and never seems to change.

4. A ____________ is something you do as a practice for an important event.

5. ____________ is a series of arguments over a long period of time.

6. If you ____________ something, you make it less strong or effective.

7. A ____________ building is bright, exciting and attractive (on the surface).

8. The ____________ of an organization or a group of people is the set of attitudes and beliefs that are

typical of them.

9. When something is ____________ by something else, it is much smaller in comparison to it.

10. When a plan is ____________, it is announced for the first time.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True or False and then check your answers in the text.

1. France 24 is a new international TV station that will broadcast only in French.

2. President Chirac walked out of an EU meeting when a French employers’ group leader spoke in English.

3. The idea to launch a French 24-hour news channel came from Mr Chirac.

4. Al-Jazeera’s English service is watched by about 90 million households.

5. More than 4,000 people work for CNN.

6. France 24 will have a bigger budget than CNN.

71
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced
The news through French eyes: in the US and Britain mocked his efforts, the
Chirac TV takes on ‘Anglo-Saxon need for a news channel with a French voice
imperialism’ gained currency. Mr Chirac now wants to launch
it as part of the president’s legacy of projects
by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
that continue France’s struggle against the
6 December, 2006
global dominance of the US. Earlier this year
he unveiled plans for a Franco-German search
In a slick glass television studio in an office block engine to compete with Google and Yahoo,
on the southern outskirts of Paris, a new front called Quaero, Latin for I search. It was quickly
in the war on ‘Anglo-Saxon’ cultural imperialism dubbed ‘Ask Chirac’.
will open up tonight. President Jacques Chirac’s
decade-old dream of a ‘CNN à la Française’ to But although the ageing president will launch
rival BBC World and US 24-hours news channels France 24 at a glittering gala in Paris’s Tuileries
is finally to launch after years of wrangling and in- Gardens, the station’s chief executive, Alain de
fighting, promising a revolution in world news. Pouzilhac, is determined not to let it become
‘Chirac TV’. “We have public money but we are
France 24 seeks to report international news an independent channel,” he told the Guardian.
‘through French eyes’. Not only will it offer a Nor will it be a vehicle for the centre-right
French perspective on world events from the presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, who has
Middle East to Madagascar, it also aims to been accused of being too close to TV stations.
reflect a certain French ‘art de vivre’, or way “I know Nicolas very well. I don’t believe we will
of life. It will explain the news with a perennial have a problem with that. He hasn’t called me,”
favourite of French TV: the argumentative debate Mr Pouzilhac added.
show where philosophers in corduroy discuss
current affairs. Dry runs have included topics The channel is aiming at a similar number of
from Rwanda to the plummeting fortunes of the viewers to al-Jazeera’s English service, about
French rugby team or the changing tastes for 75 million households in more than 90 countries,
Beaujolais nouveau. describing itself as a ‘third way’ between the
Qatar-based station and CNN.
At least 20% of the programming will focus on
culture and lifestyle, embracing everything from But its birth has not been smooth. It is an
world museums to cuisine, fashion and French unprecedented partnership between France
chocolate. It will broadcast simultaneously Télévisions, the country’s public broadcaster,
on two channels, in English and French. But and TF1, one of Europe’s largest private TV
broadcasting in English – which when used by channels, two groups which are normally rivals.
the French leader of the European employers’ There have been numerous union protests
group Unice in March this year prompted Mr and management disagreements – even the
Chirac to storm out of an EU meeting – will not channel’s name, pronounced France vingt-
dilute the French ethos. Station executives hope quatre, was hotly contested. Some French
the English debate shows will be even more politicians have expressed fears that the
heated than the French. Broadcasts in Arabic station couldn’t generate the funds to compete
and Spanish will follow at later dates. internationally. François Rochebloine, of the
centrist UDF, called it an ‘uncertain bet’, warning
The idea of a French 24-hour news channel that the taxpayer could have to pay for it twice,
was first dreamed up when Mr Chirac was prime once in the licence fee and again in a satellite or
minister in the late 1980s and became one of cable subscription.
his election pledges for the presidency in 2002.
The following year, when Mr Chirac tried to slow France 24’s images will largely come from its
the US drive to war in Iraq and some media parent TV stations as well as other partners such

72
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced
as the agency Agence France Presse and Radio
France International, prompting allegations that it
will just be a round-up of other channels’ content.
With a team of 170 journalists of an average
age of 30 and public funding of €86m (£58m)
for the first year, France 24 is dwarfed by its
competitors. CNN has a budget of €1.2bn and a
staff of 4,000.

But at its headquarters, where a banner outside

proclaims: “Everything you are not supposed to
know”, journalists say the station will influence
world politics. Mark Owen, formerly of Granada
TV, who will present the English morning news
bulletins and debate show, said: “Take the
conflict in Lebanon this summer. If Jacques
Chirac’s call for a ceasefire – which didn’t
even make BBC or CNN – had been reported
earlier, it could have brought about an earlier
resolution of the conflict. If Chirac’s call had been
reported more widely it maybe could have saved
thousands of lives. That was a story calling out
for a French angle, given the historic links to
Lebanon.”

The France 24 website will launch tonight and

the station, available on cable or satellite, goes
live tomorrow. There will be a 10-minute news
bulletin each half hour and in between a series
of magazines with topics including ‘humanitarian
affairs’, lifestyle, culture, and a monthly show
on ‘economic intelligence’, explained as spying
wars between ‘hypercompetitive companies’. The
Week in France will tackle politics and society,
and other weekly specials will come from Asia,
the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

Outside the glitzy building, the critical reaction

has been favourable. Guillaume Parmentier,
director of the French Centre on the United
States, said: “It’s not an anti-American operation.
It’s more than that. France didn’t have an
international news channel to compete with many
countries that have. What is remarkable is that is
has taken such a long time to come about.”

© Guardian News & Media 2006

First published in the Guardian, 6/12/06

73
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the information in the text.

1. What is the main purpose of France 24?

a. To attract more viewers than CNN.
b. To report international news from a French perspective.
c. To present an anti-American world view.

2. Why did the need for a news channel with a French voice increase in 2003?
a. Because President Chirac wanted it to be part of his legacy.
b. Because France was struggling against the global dominance of the US.
c. Because Chirac’s voice of opposition to the war in Iraq was not being heard.

3. Why has France 24 been labelled an ‘uncertain bet’?

a. Because French taxpayers may have to pay for it twice.
b. Because there have been union protests and management disagreements.
c. Because people cannot agree on the channel’s name.

4. What is the most remarkable thing about France 24?

a. That it is aiming at a similar number of viewers as Al-Jazeera.
b. That it has taken so long to become a reality.
c. That it will broadcast in both French and English simultaneously.

4 Find the word

Look in paragraphs 1 to 4 of the text and find these words or expressions.

1. An adjective meaning impressive and seeming to need very little effort.

2. A noun meaning a thick cotton material with a ridged surface.

3. A verb meaning to include and accept something.

4. An adverb meaning at the same time.

5. A verb meaning to make something look stupid by laughing at it.

6. An expression meaning to win the approval of many people.

7. A noun meaning something you have achieved that continues to exist after you have stopped working or after

you die.
8. A verb meaning to give someone or something a particular name.

74
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced

5 Collocations
Match the verbs with the nouns or noun phrases.

1. to launch a. fears

2. to dream up b. a television programme

3. to unveil c. a particular issue or subject

4. to express d. an idea

5. to generate e. funds or income

6. to present f. a ceasefire

7. to call for g. a new business, service or product

8. to focus on h. a plan

6 Word building

These words from the text all have a second, different meaning to the one used in the text. Fill the gaps in
the sentences using these words.

launch slick mock currency

channel dub embrace heated

1. A ____________ test or exam is one you do as practice for a real one.

2. The ____________ of Russia is the rouble.

3. A ____________ is a large open boat with an engine.

4. A ____________ swimming pool is a must in cold weather.

5. An oil ____________ is a pool of oil floating on the sea.

6. If you ____________ a film, you replace the soundtrack with a different language.

7. A ____________ is a narrow area of water joining two seas.

8. If you ____________ someone, you put your arms round them to show love or friendship.

7 Discussion
Is the English language too dominant in the world today? Can French ever be the lingua franca of the world?

75
Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Complete the sentences using key words from the text.

dwindle bipartisanship sworn in inducement sweep

mood redeploy legislative uproar bill

1. __________ is the act of two opposing political parties voting the same way on a piece of law or

government decision.

2. Elected members of government in the United States are __________ before they take office.

3. If you __________ an election or a race, you win it easily.

4. An __________ is an angry public criticism of something.

5. __________ is an adjective that means relating to law.

6. To __________ something is to move it to another place or a different job.

7. An __________ is something that persuades someone to do something (often something wrong).

8. A __________ is a proposal for a new law.

9. A __________ is a noun referring to the way someone feels.

10. __________ is a verb meaning to become gradually less or smaller.

2 What do you know about American politics?

Answer the questions.

1. What are the two major political parties in the US?

2. What political party does George Bush belong to?

3. The US Congress is bicameral, meaning it has two parliamentary chambers. One is called the House of

Representatives. What is the other?

4. What was the number one foreign policy issue of George Bush’s government in 2006?

5. What role does the Speaker of the House hold in US politics?

6. How often are there elections for Congress in the US?

76
Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced
Democrats hail new era for US as they clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their
sweep into Congress own streets and their own security, a plan that
promotes stability in the region and that allows
by Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
us to responsibly redeploy American forces,” Ms
January 5, 2007
Pelosi said.

A new era was proclaimed in Washington as Pentagon officials said there could be an
the Democratic party recaptured control of increase of between 20,000 and 40,000 to the
both houses of Congress after 12 years on the forces in Iraq, achieved mainly by extending the
sidelines of power. stay of soldiers currently serving in Iraq while
moving forward the deployment of Marine units.
“The Democrats are back,” exulted Nancy Pelosi,
who went on to make history when she was The Democrats will get another chance to
sworn in as the first woman to become speaker question Mr Bush’s judgment on the war in
of the House of Representatives. confirmation hearings for John Negroponte, the
new deputy secretary of state. Mr Negroponte,
“This is an historic moment - for the Congress,
who was made national intelligence director less
and for the women of this country. It is a moment
than two years ago, is expected to be replaced
for which we have waited more than 200 years,”
by retired vice-admiral Mike McConnell.
Ms Pelosi, 66, told Congress.
Mr Bush faces trials on the domestic front too
In another first, Keith Ellison of Minnesota
as Ms Pelosi plans to exercise the Democrats’
became the first Muslim to serve in Congress,
new majority with an ambitious legislative
taking his office on a Qur’an that once belonged
agenda, beginning almost immediately after the
to former president Thomas Jefferson.
swearing-in with measures to untangle the murky
Amid the celebratory mood among Democrats, relationships between lobbyists and politicians.
the official message from Ms Pelosi as well as The move, banning such inducements as free
the new Democratic Senate majority leader, seats at basketball games and trips on private
Harry Reid, was about cooperation with jets, was the first step in a Democratic plan to
their Republican opponents. But the limits of pass six new pieces of legislation through the
bipartisanship were made starkly apparent when House before Mr Bush makes his State of the
Ms Pelosi signalled that George Bush, who had Union address on January 23.
a Republican House and Senate in his first six
In the Senate, where the Democratic majority
years in the White House, would face new and
is wafer-thin, Mr Reid said that the focus would
energised opposition.
remain on Iraq. Mr Reid has not ruled out support
“Nowhere were the American people more clear for a troop surge, but other senators have said
about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. they intend to use their new powers to increase
The American people rejected an open-ended scrutiny of the administration, with hearings
obligation to a war without end,” Ms Pelosi said. scheduled in at least two committees on the
progress of the war.
She put Mr Bush on notice that he could expect
fierce opposition to his new strategy for Iraq. He In addition to ethics reform, the Democrats have
is expected to announce next week his decision pledged to raise the federal minimum wage
to increase America’s military commitment there for the first time in a decade, as well as make
with the deployment of thousands more troops. federal funds available for stem cell research.
But the limit of their new power was underscored
“It is the responsibility of the President to when the White House announced that Mr Bush,
articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it who vetoed a similar bill last summer, remains

77
Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced
opposed to stem cell research. Mr Bush went on
to warn of further confrontations. “If the Congress
chooses to pass bills that are simply political
statements, they will have chosen stalemate,” he
wrote in the Wall Street Journal.

Mr Bush saw the further dwindling of his band

of Texas loyalists with the resignation of the
White House counsel, Harriet Miers. Ms Miers’
departure had been expected ever since her
nomination to the Supreme Court in 2005,
which was withdrawn amid an uproar over her
apparently shaky grasp of constitutional law.

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in the Guardian, 5/1/07

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Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Decide whether these statements are True (T), False (F) or DS (doesn’t say in the text).

1. The Democrats have never had power in the House of Representatives. ____

2. In the past women were not allowed to be speaker of the House. ____

3. There have been Muslims in the US Congress in the past. ____

4. The speaker of the house believes that Americans want a foreign policy change in Iraq. ____

5. The President has changed his Iraq policy in response to the Democrats. ____

6. John Negroponte is going to be the new national intelligence director. ____

7. The Democrats want to increase political inducements from lobbyists. ____

8. The Senate is also concerned with the war in Iraq. ____

9. George Bush does not want federal funds to be used in stem cell research. ____

10. Harriet Miers resigned as Supreme Court judge because she didn’t know enough about constitutional law. ____

4 Vocabulary 1: Communication verbs

Find the verbs in the text that have the following meanings. The first letter is provided, and all the verbs are
in the text.

1. to say publicly how good or important something is to h______

2. to say something publicly to a______ or to p______

3. to say something with great pleasure to e______

4. to say or show what you intend to do to s______

5. to say no to something to r______

6. to say something clearly, with precision to a______

7. to say in public that you promise to do something to p______

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5 Grammar focus
Study the word order in this example from the text:

Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq.

Rewrite the sentences below beginning with the words provided.

1. George Bush had never faced such opposition from Congress before.
Never…

2. The US Congress rarely changes political colours in both houses.

Rarely…

3. The Pentagon has seldom deployed so many soldiers in the Middle East.
Seldom…

4. It is not only an important time for American women, it is an important for American Muslims.
Not only…

5. The President will support funding stem cell research under no circumstances.
Under no circumstances…

6 Vocabulary 2: Collocations

Complete the sentences with a word from the box. There are four words you don’t need.

do make stay take

obvious knowledge remain apparent grasp

1. The team knew this was their big moment, their chance to ______ history.

2. The new President will ______ office in January.

3. It is starkly ______ that the world climate is changing.

4. I have rather a shaky ______ on English grammar, although my vocabulary is excellent.

5. Many teachers ______ opposed to the new exam format due to take place next term.

7 Discussion
Do you think the political changes in the US Congress will make a difference to America’s foreign policy?

80
Six thousand women missing from top jobs
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1

Look at the headline of the article: Six thousand women missing from boardrooms, politics and courts.
What do you think it means?

1. 6,000 women have been kidnapped from these places.

2. 6,000 women have gone on strike.
3. 6,000 women are needed to work in these institutions.

2 Pre-reading 2

Which do you think has the lowest proportion of women in parliament: Afghanistan, Britain, Iraq,
or Rwanda?

3 Key words

boardrooms glass ceiling elected chambers headhunters

FTSE 100 shortlists thrive amalgamated sidelined

1. Houses of parliament. ____________

2. Combined. ____________

3. Pushed to one side and not given priority. ____________

4. People paid to find and recruit new staff from other companies. ____________

5. An invisible barrier that stops women reaching top positions. ____________

6. Groups of names for final selection. ____________

7. To survive and do very well. ____________

8. Places where company directors discuss policy. ____________

9. The Financial Times list of the top 100 companies in Britain. ____________

Now read the text quickly to see if you were right.

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Six thousand women missing from top jobs
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Six thousand women missing from Our democracy and local communities will be
boardrooms, politics and courts stronger if women from different backgrounds are
able to enjoy an equal voice. In business, no one
Polly Curtis
can afford to fish in half the talent pool in today’s
Friday January 5, 2007
intensely competitive world.”
7
1 The glass ceiling is still holding back 6,000 The commission identified the 33,000 most
women from the top 33,000 jobs in Britain,
influential jobs in the private sector, politics, the
according to new research from the Equal
legal system and the public sector in Britain.
Opportunities Commission. Thirty years after
To achieve a representative proportion, women, it
the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act,
said, should fill another 6,000.
women are “woefully under-represented” in the
8
country’s boardrooms, politics and courts.
At the current rate of improvement, it would
take 20 years to achieve equality in the civil
2 Help from nannies has not enabled successful service, 40 years in the judiciary and 60 years
women to maintain their careers after having
among FTSE 100 companies. But it would take
children, the research suggests. The EOC
200 years – at least another 40 elections – to
blames a male-dominated culture in the
achieve an equal number of MPs in parliament.
professions for resistance to flexible working.
By contrast, in the Scottish assembly, nearly
40% are women and 51.7% in Wales. The EOC
3 The upward trend in the proportion of women in said there was an argument for parties to use
top jobs is “painfully slow”, the report says, and
all-women shortlists, as in Wales.
in some sectors there is even a decline. The
9
proportion of women in parliament has slipped
But figures for women from ethnic minorities
in the 12 months since the EOC’s last Sex and
are worse. There are only two black women
Power survey and is now at 19.5% – lower than
MPs, four non-white top 100 FTSE directors
in Iraq, Afghanistan and Rwanda.
and nine top civil servants from ethnic minority
backgrounds. “If we want our communities to
4 Although a woman is chief executive of the thrive, this has to change,” concludes the report.
London Stock Exchange, and four senior judges
10
are women, the proportion of women directors of
It suggests that more successful women are
top 100 FTSE companies has dipped to 10.4%,
experiencing the same barriers to getting the
and of female judges to 9.8%.
jobs they want as women in lower paid jobs.
As for age, the pay gap between men and
5 Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, said: “Today’s women in their 20s is 3.7%, rising to 10.7% for
troubling findings show just how slow the
thirtysomethings – from the impact of childbirth
pace of change has been in powerful British
on women’s earnings. The same is not true for
institutions. They suggest it’s time not just to
men who become fathers.
send out the headhunters to find some of those 11
‘missing women’, but to address the barriers that
Female workers in the UK suffer one of the
stand in their way. Thirty years on from the Sex
biggest pay gaps in Europe – 17% for full-time
Discrimination Act, women rightly expect to share
staff and 38% for part-time – because they are
power. But as our survey shows, that’s not the
more likely to be in low-paid jobs and then slip
reality.”
further down the career ladder after having
6 “We all pay the price when Britain’s boardrooms children, the Women and Work Commission
found last year.
and elected chambers are unrepresentative.

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Six thousand women missing from top jobs
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12 “Asking for flexible working still spells career the CRE, and some people fear that in the new
death for too many women in today’s workplace,” organisation, women’s rights could be sidelined.
said Ms Watson. “As a consequence, women
with caring responsibilities all too often have to 14 Katherine Rake, another equal rights
‘trade down’ to keep working. Extending the right campaigner, commented: “This research proves
to ask for flexible working to everyone in the beyond a doubt that life at the top is white and
workplace would change that culture and enable male.”
more women to reach the top.”
15 And Ms Watson summed up: “We haven’t solved
13 This is the last annual report from the EOC. the problem of sex discrimination yet. There is so
Next year, the EOC is due to be amalgamated much more to be done.”
with the Commission for Racial Equality and the
Disability Rights Commission, into a new body © Guardian News & Media 2007
called the Commission for Equality and Human First published in The Guardian, 5/1/07
Rights. This will be headed by the current chair of

4 General understanding

Some of these sentences are not true, according to the article. Say which ones, and say why.

1. Nannies are not good enough to help women get work.

2. The position of women has got worse in all areas since the last survey.

3. Trying to recruit more women is not enough.

4. Everyone will benefit if women have equal opportunities.

5. There should be 39,000 top jobs, not 33,000.

6. Parliamentary elections happen more or less every 5 years in Britain.

7. The EOC thinks all members of parliament should be women.

8. Women in their thirties get more money than women in their twenties.

9. Women in Britain are paid more for part-time work than if they work full time.

10. Giving men the right to request flexible working would actually help women.

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5 Language development 1: Lexical sets
The writer uses a lot of words with similar meaning, partly to avoid repetition. Put the words below into six
groups linked to similar ideas in this text.

the research slipped assembly non-white our survey judges

dipped parliament courts the private sector politics the report
the civil service elected chambers from ethnic minorities the judiciary
companies black the legal system the public sector boardrooms

Findings of Fallen, Government / Racial Private The law

the study decreased administration descriptions industry

6 Language development 2: Compound adjectives

Match the beginnings and endings of these compound adjectives from memory.

all- time

non- represented

full- white

low- dominated

under- women

male- paid

Now match the compound adjectives with the nouns they described.

1. Women are _______________. 4. Four ______________ top FTSE directors.

2. A ________________ culture. 5. ____________ staff.
3. _______________ shortlists. 6. ____________ jobs.

Now scan the text to see if you were right.

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7 Vocabulary development 3: Metaphorical language

Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, uses quite a lot of metaphors to make her speech more colourful. See if
you can remember the missing words in these expressions from her comments.

1. …if women from different backgrounds are able to enjoy an equal ______ .

2. …no-one can afford to ______ in half the talent ______ .

3. …and then slip further down the career __________ .

4. Asking for flexible working still _____ career _______ for too many women.

Now match the expressions with the meanings below.

a. …find themselves in even worse jobs

b. …means that they may lose their jobs

c. …have as many rights and as much power (as men)

d. …look for the best staff from only part of the population

8 Discussion

1. Were you surprised by any of the information in the article?

2. How similar is the situation for women in your country?

3. About what proportion of women have top jobs?

4. Is there a big pay gap between women and men?

5. What about women from ethnic minorities?

6. What do you think should be done to improve the situation?

85
Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

swarm alien scramble ecosystem strive

quarantine graffiti scrawl fragile soar

1. If a person or animal is kept in ____________, they might have a disease so they are kept apart from other

people or animals so that they do not catch the disease.

2. If something is ____________, it can be broken or damaged easily.

3. ____________ is words or pictures drawn on walls in public places.

4. If something ____________, it rises very quickly to a high level.

5. If you ____________ into or out of something, you have to use your hands and feet to do so.

6. If a species is ____________ to a particular area, it comes from a different country or region.

7. An ____________ consists of all the plants and animals in a particular area, which are dependent

on one another.

8. A ____________ is a very large group of insects flying or moving together.

9. If you ____________ something, you write it carelessly or in a hurry so that it is difficult to read.

10. If you ____________ to do something, you make a lot of effort to achieve it.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these sentences are True or False in your opinion. Then check your answers in the text.

1. The Galápagos Islands belong to Mexico.

2. There are a lot of rats on the Galápagos Islands.

3. The isolation of the Galápagos Islands has helped to preserve their unique wildlife.

4. Environmental campaigners have welcomed the arrival of cruise ships in the Galápagos islands.

5. Visitors need a permit to visit the Galápagos islands.

6. The number of visitors to the islands is decreasing.

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Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
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A rat, insects and litter: delights of system is going to be. With the best will in the
mass tourism reach Galápagos world it’s virtually impossible to search a boat
that size thoroughly. Just sheer numbers means
David Adam, environment correspondent
it’s much easier for something to slip through.
January 10, 2007
And if we can’t protect the Galápagos then what
does it say about the other natural spaces in the
Not since Hamelin has the discovery of a rat world?
provoked so much alarm. It was only a single
“The Galápagos are not suitable for this kind of
creature, but it had no business being on the
mass tourism. We’re not being elitist: the islands
island of Santa Fe in the isolated Galápagos
just don’t have the infrastructure for that number
archipelago, where conservationists now strive
of people. We’re not anti-tourism, but it’s got to
to keep foreign wildlife at bay as effectively as
be high-value, low-volume tourism.” Before the
hundreds of miles of open ocean did for millions
Discovery’s stopover, almost all visitors to the
of years.
islands flew direct from the mainland. “This cruise
The rat is alleged to have arrived on the MV ship has travelled all the way down the coast of
Discovery, a giant British cruise liner that visited South America and could bring all sorts of things
the islands in April. Today, the ship is due to with it,” Ms Stjepic said.
return to the Galápagos, and arriving with it are
As well as the rat, and the insects,
460 paying passengers, protests and a campaign
environmentalists say the Discovery’s previous
to protect the islands from such mass tourism.
visit left the islands covered in litter, dropped
Voyages of Discovery, the cruise company, by wealthy tourists who “have no idea where
promises visitors to the islands: “The enigmas, they are or the impact their visit may have”.
secrets and charms of this spectacular and rich Graffiti was scrawled at the visitor centre and
landscape are, like a dream, an unequalled one passenger reportedly asked where the local
adventure just waiting to be discovered.” But to Starbucks was.
environmental campaigners, the ship’s arrival is
The study of the impact of the liner’s first visit
a nightmare. Conservationists on the Galápagos
was carried out by the local Charles Darwin
have also found swarms of foreign insects on
Foundation and the Galápagos National Park
the islands since the liner’s last visit and fear
Service. As well as the foreign wildlife, it found
its return today could introduce more alien
that sales for local businesses increased by
species that might further disrupt the sensitive
5%, a third of what was expected. Infrastructure
ecosystems.
was overwhelmed, they said, and local tour
The Discovery, the first large cruise ship to have operators, who take visitors around the different
visited the islands, is scheduled to return again islands, were forced to land large boats on fragile
this April and twice each year thereafter. Permits shorelines because elderly cruise passengers
recently granted by the Ecuadorian government were unable to scramble in and out of rubber
– the islands are owned by the South American dinghies.
country – could see one cruise ship stop there a
However, David Yellow, managing director of
month.
Voyages of Discovery, said the campaigners
Leonor Stjepic, director of the Galápagos were “speaking from ignorance”. He said the
Conservation Trust, warned that such an firm operated under strict restrictions and carried
acceleration in visitor numbers would overwhelm out an in-depth environmental impact study
efforts to keep out pests and disease. “The more before it was granted a licence to operate in the
people that come, the greater the risk of invasive Galápagos. “We are experienced at operating
species and the less effective the quarantine in environmentally sensitive areas and we know

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Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
Level 3 Advanced
what to do. All our people [passengers] are given
a lecture before they go ashore and we know
they adhere to it.” The Discovery anchored at the
island of San Cristóbal during its stay, he said, a
good 25 miles from Santa Fe where the rat was
found.

Mr Yellow said there was no proof that the graffiti

and litter were left by Discovery tourists. “Local
people create litter. They are not as sensitive to
the environment as the people we take there.
There are local people who smoke a cigarette
and throw it into the street.” Drawn by the unique
wildlife and mystique, annual visitors to the
archipelago have soared from about 40,000 in
the late 1980s to more than 100,000 now.

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 10/1/07

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Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How did the citizens of the Galápagos react to the appearance of the rat?
a. They were surprised and confused.
b. They were angry and disappointed.
c. They were frightened and worried.

2. Why are the Galápagos a popular tourist destination?

a. Because you can go there by cruise liner.
b. Because they have unique wildlife.
c. Because they have a fragile ecosystem.

3. What is the possible result of an increase in visitor numbers?

a. It will be more difficult to keep out pests and diseases.
b. Rats will overwhelm the local infrastructure.
c. Cruise ships will be searched thoroughly.

4. What kind of tourist solution does the Galápagos Conservation Trust want?
a. Large numbers paying low prices.
b. Small numbers paying high prices.
c. No tourists at all.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find these words or expressions.

1. A 3-word expression meaning prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from affecting you. (para 1)

2. A noun meaning something that is mysterious and difficult to understand. (para 3)

3. A verb meaning to interrupt something and cause a problem. (para 3)

4. An adverb meaning after a specific time. (para 4)

5. A verb meaning to exist in such great amounts that someone or something cannot deal with them. (para 5)

6. A two-word verb meaning to enter without being noticed or stopped. (para 5)

7. An adjective meaning believing that a small group of people should keep the most power and influence. (para 6)

8. A two-word verb meaning to obey. (para 9)

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Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
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5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. Check your
answers in the text.

1. drop a. a study

2. grant b. a lecture

3. provoke c. a licence/a permit

4. have d. litter

5. carry out e. an impact

6. give f. alarm

6 Vocabulary 3: Word stress

Put these words from the text into one of the three groups depending on their word stress.

enigma campaigner introduce sensitive thereafter

overwhelm quarantine thoroughly graffiti ignorance

A 0oo B o0o C oo0

7 Discussion
Should tourists be allowed to visit places with sensitive ecosystems?

90
Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these words from the text with their definitions.

diminish achieve revolutionise screen

pervade transmit

1. to completely change the way things are done or thought about

2. to spread through the whole of something
3. to spread a disease from one person to another
4. to test someone if they have a particular illness
5. to become less, or to make something become less
6. to succeed in doing or having what you planned

2 Find the information

Skim the text to find the answers to the questions.

1. Who has identified the fifteen milestones of modern medicine?

2. Which came first, anaesthesia or chlorpromazine?
3. What caused 30% of deaths at the end of the 1800s?
4. What is the English name for the milestone in woman’s contraception?
5. What disease did the first vaccine treat?

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Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine
Level 3 Advanced
Milestones that showed the way to Computers could help us transcend
modern medicine boundaries to achieve good health, whoever
or wherever we are.
Sarah Boseley, health editor
January 5, 2007
5. DNA
The nature of the infectious agent causing
Fifteen of the most important milestones on
Sars was published within weeks, thanks
the road to modern medicine are identified
to DNA testing. Newborn babies are now
today by the British Medical Journal. They
screened for genetic diseases and all
range from vaccines to computers to the pill
patients for surgery have their blood group
- and the journal is calling for readers to vote
analysed, after the discovery of the structure
on which was the most significant. The 15
of DNA by Watson and Crick in the 1950s. It
have been shortlisted from more than 100
has also made possible genetically targeted
nominated discoveries since the BMJ was
drugs.
launched in 1840.
6. Evidence-based medicine
1. Anaesthesia
The term was coined in 1991 as result of
Revolutionised surgery. By the end of the
the recognition that pulling together all the
19th century, anaesthesia had become
information on a topic leads to more valid
a symbol for the wider humanitarian
results than a single study and that bias
movement. It remains the most vivid
- deliberate or not - pervades many clinical
example of medicine’s capacity to diminish
trials.
human suffering.
7. Germ theory
2. Antibiotics
Realisation that germs carried on the hands
The first ‘wonder drugs’. Alexander Fleming
of doctors could transmit lethal infections to
reported on penicillin’s potential to kill
women in labour by Ignaz Semmelweis in
bacteria in 1929. Cheap mass production
Vienna in 1847 became the accepted germ
was achieved in the US during the second
theory of disease. At the end of the 19th
world war, allowing soldiers to be protected
century, infection caused 30% of deaths. By
from wound infections but also sexually
the end of the 20th century it caused less
transmitted diseases. Antibiotics transformed
than 4%.
healthcare.
8. Imaging
3. Chlorpromazine
Identifying that the passage of electricity
Breakthrough drug for schizophrenia,
though rarefied gases produced X-rays won
which helped close the asylums. Pierre
Wilhelm Roentgen the first Nobel prize for
Deniker, who ran the first trial on psychotic
physics in 1901. X-rays proved invaluable
patients, published in 1952, wrote that
for diagnosis and soon became therapeutic
‘aggressiveness and delusive conditions of
tools as well, in cancer and palliative
schizophrenia improved’, and contact with
medicine.
patients was re-established.
9. Magic bullets
4. Computers
The discovery of monoclonal antibodies
Computers have allowed decoding of the
which the immune system will not reject has
genome and permitted doctors to see the
led to dramatic new treatments for disease.
body and its functions in three dimensions.
Over a million people have been treated

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Level 3 Advanced
for rheumatoid arthritis, with a spectacular 13. Sanitation
reduction of symptoms. They have helped First came the industrial revolution, then
reduce organ transplant rejection and these urbanisation, and by the 1800s infectious
‘magic bullets’ target radioactive treatment diseases were rampant. Cholera outbreaks
for cancer precisely to the tumour. turned attention to urban water systems
and modern sanitation was born. By the
10. Oral rehydration beginning of the 20th century death rates
Children in poor countries are faced with fell.
episodes of diarrhoea about three times a
year. Simple, cheap and easily prepared oral 14. Vaccines
rehydration therapy, which combines salt Louis Pasteur’s unveiling of the rabies
and sugar with clean water, saves millions of vaccine in 1885 paved the way for every
lives. other vaccine. The discovery has saved
millions of lives.
11. The pill
The oral contraceptive brought about a 15. Tissue culture
social as well as a medical revolution and The invention of laboratory-reared tissue
had huge benefits for women. It was the first cultures has played a role in 18 out of the
potent drug to be taken by millions of healthy last 52 Nobel prizes for medicine. Tissue
people and the active ingredient is virtually culture provided a medium on which to grow
unchanged. viruses for experimentation, test drugs, and
grow skin culture.
12. Risks of smoking
Two landmark studies in the 1950s led to a © Guardian News & Media 2007
growing body of evidence about the harmful First published in The Guardian, 05/1/07
effects of tobacco, and a gradual decline in
the numbers of people smoking and dying of
tobacco-related disease.

3 Comprehension check

Read again and match the words with the sentences. There are two words you do not need.

evidence-based medicine sanitation antibiotics tissue culture

computers anaesthesia oral rehydration magic bullets chlorpromazine
vaccine imaging the pill

1. It is one of the most important examples of how medicine reduces human suffering.
2. It was used by the American military to protect soldiers.
3. It meant that schizophrenic people were no longer locked away.
4. It helped map the human genome.

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5. It proved that many clinical trials are biased and more investigation was needed.
6. It was the key behind developing x-ray machines.
7. It is used to treat cancer patients better.
8. It was invented by Louis Pasteur.
9. It allows doctors to grow viruses to study them further.
10. It was created because people in big cities were dying from unhealthy drinking water.

4 Grammar: -of phrases

Of is often used to link two noun phrases. Complete the sentences with of + one of the phrases
below.

many illnesses people the most important discoveries deaths

the 19th century disease diarrhoea smoking

1. The article is about fifteen ... in medicine.

2. Anaesthesia was invented at the end …
3. The nature … was unknown before computers.
4. Semmelweis discovered the germ theory …
5. Sanitation reduced the number … from cholera.
6. Children in poor countries are often victims of episodes …
7. Vaccines have saved millions …
8. The risks … became known in the 1950s.

5 Vocabulary: Find the word

Find words with the following meanings.

1. An adjective meaning that something is shown very clearly to be true. (Milestone1)
2. A verb meaning to go beyond the limits. (Milestone 4)
3. A verb meaning to use a phrase or word for the first time. (Milestone 6)
4. An adjective meaning very dangerous and able to kill you. (Milestone 7)

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6 Vocabulary: Collocations (medicine)

Choose the best word.

1. to treat/ to serve an illness

2. sexually transmitted/transposed diseases
3. to make/to run medical trials
4. clinical trials/tests
5. to send/ to transmit infections
6. a potent/strong drug

7 Discussion

Which of the milestones do you think are the most important? How has medicine changed in your
lifetime?

95
Racism, ratings and reality TV
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

falter consternation allegation abuse regulator

furore elocution outraged aberration humiliation

1. If someone is ____________, they are extremely shocked and angry.

2. ____________ is cruel, violent or unfair treatment.

3. ____________ is the unhappy and ashamed feeling people have when something embarrassing happens.

4. ____________ is a shocked or worried feeling, often caused when something unexpected happens.

5. An ____________ is something that is not normal or not what you would usually expect.

6. An ____________ is a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has

not been proved.

7. If something ____________, it ceases to be effective or to make progress.

8. A ____________ is an organization whose job is to check that companies, systems etc act fairly and follow rules.

9. ____________ is the skill of speaking clearly and with an accent that is considered to be correct.

10. A ____________ is a lot of anger caused by a particular event or situation.

2 Sequence of events

These six sentences about the story are not in the correct order. Reorder them and then check your
answers in the text.

a. Amongst other things, they called her a fake and made fun of her accent.

b. The controversy has led to an increase in the number of viewers, however.

c. Celebrity Big Brother is a reality TV show that is now in its fifth year.

d. Some of the other contestants are alleged to have made racist remarks about her.

e. One of the contestants in this year’s show is a film actress from India, Shilpa Shetty.

f. This led to more than 20,000 viewers complaining to the official TV regulator.

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Racism, ratings and reality TV: now but also on the skin and the country,” he said.
Big Brother creates a diplomatic Media regulator Ofcom said last night it had
incident received 19,300 complaints, more than double its
Complaints over Channel 4 show hit record previous record, while a further 3,000 were made
22,000. Police to investigate abuse of Bollywood to Channel 4 directly. A separate online petition
film star. launched by the newspaper Eastern Eye had last
night attracted 20,000 signatures.
by Owen Gibson, Vikram Dodd and Randeep
Ramesh in Delhi. January 18, 2007 Hertfordshire police said it would formally
investigate 30 complaints. A spokesman said:
Three days ago it was merely the below par fifth “We are investigating allegations of racist
season of a faltering reality TV show. But as the behaviour in the Big Brother house, and will
storm over the alleged racism of its participants be conducting an inquiry, including a review of
intensified, Celebrity Big Brother yesterday tapes.” Channel 4 executives and the show’s
sparked demonstrations on Indian streets, producers met yesterday to discuss the row, but
consternation in Downing Street, condemnation privately may be delighted. Tuesday night’s show
from the chancellor on a state visit to Bangalore was watched by 4.5 million people, 1 million
and a police investigation. more than Monday’s.

The Channel 4 show has always courted The furore was sparked by a series of incidents
controversy but has never before been on the centred on a group of contestants led by Goody,
verge of sparking an international incident. Yet as and including her boyfriend Jack Tweed, Lloyd
the number of complaints from outraged viewers and ex-pop singer Jo O’Meara. At one point
topped 22,000, the Indian government spoke out Goody, after a row with Shetty, had said: “You
against the programme and Hertfordshire police need elocution lessons. You need a day in the
confirmed it would investigate allegations that slums. Go to those people who look up to you
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty had been subjected and be real. You’re a fake.”
to racist abuse by three white fellow contestants.
Channel 4 released a statement insisting that
The number of complaints looked sure to rise there had been no overt racism, and claiming
last night as Channel 4 broadcast a furious row that the clashes were based on class and
between Shetty and Jade Goody, who earned cultural differences. But in India, the row has
millions after finding fame on the non-celebrity managed the rare feat of uniting all political
version of the show. Speaking after the argument parties. Communists, Hindu nationalists and
to another contestant, Cleo Rocos, Shetty said: the ruling Congress party have all demanded
“I’m representing my country. Is that what today’s action be taken to preserve Shetty’s dignity. “[Big
UK is? It’s scary. It’s quite a shame actually.” Brother] is holding a mirror to British society. It
Rocos said: “I don’t think there’s anything racist is no aberration. We should thank Channel 4 for
in it.” But Shetty replied: “It is, I’m telling you.” revealing the hidden biases of Britain,” Mahesh
Later, glamour model Danielle Lloyd, when Bhatt, a Bollywood director, told the Guardian.
talking to Goody, said that the Bollywood star
should go back home. Dozens of Shetty’s fans took to the streets in
Patna, eastern India, to protest against what
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister they said was her humiliation, burning straw
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi appealed to Shetty to effigies of the show’s producers. In Bangalore,
appear before the Indian High Commission in UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown,
London when she came out of the house. “If faced journalists questioning him about a reality
there has been some racism shown against her show he said he had never seen. “I understand
in the show, it is not only an attack on women that in the UK there have already been 10,000

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Racism, ratings and reality TV
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complaints from viewers about remarks which
people see rightly as offensive,” he said. “I want
Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and
tolerance. Anything that detracts from that I
condemn.”

Later Tony Blair’s spokesman added: “What

clearly is to be regretted and countered is any
perception abroad that in any way we tolerate
racism in this country.” In one exchange, Goody
was heard saying of Shetty: “She makes me feel
sick. She makes my skin crawl”, while her now
evicted mother Jackiey continually referred to
her as “the Indian”. Later Lloyd claimed that the
Bollywood star “wants to be white” and called
her a “dog”. After Shetty cooked a roast chicken
dinner, Lloyd had said: “They eat with their hands
in India, don’t they. Or is that China?” She added:
“You don’t know where those hands have been.”

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 18/1/07

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3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text:

1. What rare achievement did the controversy produce in India?

a. It made people burn straw effigies of the show’s producers.
b. It united all the political parties.
c. It made the British chancellor apologize.

2. What was the effect of the controversy in the UK?

a. The number of viewers increased by 30%.
b. Shilpa Shetty appeared before the Indian High Commission in London.
c. People demonstrated on the streets.

3. What action will the local police take?

a. No action at all.
b. They will review the tapes and conduct an inquiry.
c. They will arrest Goody and Lloyd for racism.

4. What was Channel 4’s version of events?

a. It was all part of the show.
b. It wasn’t racism but class and cultural differences.
c. The show is a mirror of British society.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the word or expression that means:

1. not up to standard (para 1)

2. to cause (para 1)

3. to be about to do something (para 2)

4. to state your opinion firmly and publicly (para 2)

5. frightening (para 3)

6. a document signed by many people asking the authorities to do something (para 4)

7. an impressive achievement (para 7)

8. a model of someone, especially one destroyed in a protest against them (para 8)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + Noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.

1. spark a. one’s dignity

2. court b. an inquiry

3. investigate c. demonstrations

4. find d. a petition

5. conduct e. controversy

6. sign f. action

7. preserve g. fame

8. demand h. allegations

6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions

Which prepositions follow these words? Check your answers in the text.

1. subjected __________

2. row __________

3. appeal __________

4. appear __________

5. attack __________

6. based __________

7. protest __________
8. detract __________

7 Discussion

What do you think of reality television programmes such as Big Brother? Do they perform a valuable service by
showing how people interact or are they just complete rubbish?

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1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

shimmer fluctuate turmoil orbit glow

pinpoint engulf trigger tandem substorm

1. If something operates in ____________ with something else, they happen at the same time.

2. A ____________ is a soft light, often red or orange in colour, coming from something that produces heat.

3. The moon ____________ the Earth, meaning that it moves around it on a regular path.

4. A ____________ is a complicated phenomenon in the magnetosphere that scientists still do not fully understand.

5. When something ____________, it reflects a gentle light that seems to shake slightly.

6. ____________ is a state of uncontrolled activity.

7. If something ____________, it changes frequently.

8. If you ____________ something, you discover exactly where something is or you explain exactly what

something is.

9. If something ____________ something else, it covers it completely.

10. A ____________ is something that sets a process in motion.

2 Find the information

Try to guess whether these statements are true or false. Then look in the text and check your answers.

1. The northern lights are also known as aurora borealis.

2. The northern lights are caused by electron activity in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

3. The main colours of the northern lights are red, yellow and blue.

4. Scientists know what causes the substorms that cause the northern lights.

5. Understanding the northern lights will lead to better weather forecasting on Earth.

6. The Earth is the only planet with a magnetic field, also called a magnetosphere.

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Into the aurora: NASA craft probe released by the magnetic field intensifies into
mysteries of the northern lights a substorm.
Project will help predict damaging space storms. “It becomes interesting when a substorm goes
Satellites will line up in orbit to measure effect. off - it brightens and then, within 30 seconds, it
Alok Jha, science correspondent starts rushing towards the north. It engulfs the
February 15, 2007 entire sky and breaks up into little pieces,” said
Vassilis Angelopoulos, principal investigator on
The shimmering waves of colour of the northern the Themis project who is based at the University
lights are an unparalleled display of nature, of California, Berkeley. “It’s a magnificent
caused as the Earth’s atmosphere is hit by phenomenon to watch.” The sequence of events
energetic particles from magnetic storms in that leads to a substorm is unknown. “The
space. For scientists, however, the lights also problem so far is that a single satellite was never
represent one of the longest-standing mysteries able to pinpoint the exact trigger of this process,”
in space physics: how and where in space do the said Professor Angelopoulos.
displays begin? And how can they be predicted?
The five Themis satellites are designed to orbit
Today, NASA will launch five identical spacecraft the Earth in such a way that they line up along
from Cape Canaveral in Florida, in an attempt the sun-Earth line every four days, tracking the
to answer the question. By measuring how the flow of energy from one to the other. Possible
magnetic field around the Earth fluctuates in triggers for the substorms have different locations
real time, the Themis project will allow scientists in space, so placing the Themis spacecraft in
to better predict the weather in space that lies various locations in the Earth’s magnetic field will
behind the northern lights - crucial for keeping help find the elusive point of origin. “The orbits
communications satellites and, eventually, are designed so that there will be a series of
humans safe in orbit. spacecraft down the tail of the Earth’s magnetic
field at the same time,” said Dr Hapgood. “They’ll
The northern lights - aurora borealis - are a visual
be able to bracket the different phenomena
representation of the turmoils of the Earth’s
occurring. They’ll be able to say, ‘this thing
magnetic field. The sun continually streams
happened between these two spacecraft at
energy towards our planet, some of which is
this time’.”
stored by the Earth’s magnetic field at heights of
10,000 km above the surface. The field creates More than 20 ground stations across the US
a protective shield for the Earth in space, called will track the Themis satellites, to give precise
the magnetosphere, which protects our planet locations for the magnetic substorms that
from much of the deadly radiation coming from are observed. Themis will also work with the
the sun. But every so often, the field will release European Cluster project, launched in 2000,
the energy it has stored and shower energetic which uses four satellites flying in tandem to
electrons towards the upper atmosphere. When measure the Earth’s magnetic field. “Cluster has
these hit air molecules, the energy released been important - we’ve been sending information
causes a characteristic glow. to our US colleagues on how to coordinate it
with Themis,” said Dr Hapgood. As well as the
“The colours represent the composition of the
northern lights, the European Cluster project
air at that height,” said Mike Hapgood, a UK
uses 11 instruments to focus on the part of the
space researcher. “Green and red is the oxygen
Earth’s magnetic field that faces the sun.
glowing, violet is nitrogen.” Most of the time, the
northern lights make up a steady band stretching “Much like meteorologists study tornadoes in
from east to west but every few hours the energy order to understand the large thunderstorms,

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so we study substorms to get better insight into has evolved rather dramatically because they
large space storms,” said Prof Angelopoulos. understand the sequence of events much better.
Predicting these storms is important for scientists Essentially we are doing the same sort of thing,
to describe the environment around the Earth trying to understand that sequence and give
and ensure spacecraft and astronauts can people more accurate predictions.”
operate safely, as the particles created in the
storms can damage electronic circuits. The Themis satellites will spend the next few
months being carefully arranged in space, and
The radiation can also knock out power grids will make their first working measurements in a
on the Earth’s surface. “Once they [NASA] have year’s time. They are scheduled to operate for
the timing right, it becomes much easier to give two years. Dr Hapgood said that understanding
people a warning,” said Dr Hapgood. “If you give the Earth’s magnetic field will also give scientists
a control centre half an hour’s notice, they can insights into other planets in the solar system
be alert and ready to deal with things or issue that have magnetospheres: “These things
a warning saying things aren’t going to be so also happen out further in the universe around
reliable for the next few hours.” pulsars. Understanding how magnetospheres
work is a universal question.”
Modern warnings of space storms are unreliable.
“It’s like what weather forecasting may have © Guardian News & Media 2007
been a century ago. Over the last 50 years, it First published in The Guardian, 15/2/07

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text:

1. The aim of the Themis project is:

a. to measure the magnetic field around the Earth.
b. to pinpoint the point of origin of the northern lights.
c. to find out what colour the northern lights really are.

2. How does the magnetosphere protect the Earth?

a. It showers electrons towards the upper atmosphere.
b. It releases energy causing a characteristic glow.
c. It prevents a lot of solar radiation reaching the Earth.

3. Electronic particles created in substorms could be dangerous because:

a. they can damage electronic circuits in spacecraft and power grids on the Earth’s surface.
b. they cause thunderstorms.
c. they interfere with weather forecasting.

4. The purpose of the European Cluster project is:

a. to find the origin of the northern lights.
b. to measure substorms.
c. to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Adjectives

Find the adjectives that mean:

1. the best of a particular kind (para 1)

2. having existed for a very long time (para 1)

3. extremely important (para 2)

4. able or likely to kill people (para 3)

5. very impressive and beautiful (para 5)

6. difficult or impossible to find (para 6)

7. extremely exact (para 7)

8. paying attention to what is happening and ready to react quickly if necessary (para 9)

5 Sequencing

Rearrange these sentences to form the sequence of events leading to the appearance of the northern lights.

a. From time to time the field releases the energy it has stored.

b. It is this contact which causes the characteristic glow of the northern lights.

c. It sends showers of energetic electrons towards the upper atmosphere.

d. The sun continually streams energy towards the Earth.

e. This energy is stored by the Earth’s magnetic field.

f. These electrons come into contact with air molecules.

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6 Vocabulary 2: Prepositions
Which prepositions follow these words? Check your answers in the text.

1. focus _______

2. shield _______

3. lead _______

4. coordinate _______

5. deal _______

6. insight _______

7. warning _______

8. sequence _______ events

7 Discussion

Should money be spent on space exploration?

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Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1

Look at the main headline. What do you think the story will be about?

1. A female alien recharges her batteries and dives from outer space to bomb another woman.

2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is accused of attempted murder.

3. An actress playing a character like ‘Wonder Woman’ is electrocuted when her rocket crashes.

2 Pre-reading 2

Now read the sub-headings. Do they help you to decide?

3 Key words

Match these key words from the text with the definitions below.

a shuttle alleged a tracking device docked

screening a nappy stalking

1. ____________ A piece of electronic equipment that lets the police know where you are, wherever you go.

2. ____________ A piece of soft material usually worn by babies, who can’t use the toilet.
3. ____________ Checking very carefully that someone is suitable for a job.

4. ____________ Watching and following someone all the time in a frightening way because you have an

excessive interest in them.

5. ____________ Said to be true, but not yet proved in court.

6. ____________ Joined to another spacecraft while still in space.

7. ____________ A space vehicle that travels to outer space and back to Earth.

Now read the text quickly to see if you were right.

D •
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007

M W P
O DO O
FR BE C
N T
O

NEWS LESSONS / Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival / Advanced

O
H
•P
CA

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Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival
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Spacewoman falls to Earth on charge 6 By her own admission to Orlando police, Mrs
of trying to kill love rival Nowak set out on her 950-mile drive from
Shuttle astronaut arrested after alleged airport Houston, Texas, to Orlando on Sunday carrying
attack. Male colleague said to be at centre of with her a carbon-dioxide powered pellet gun, a
love triangle. folding knife with a four-inch blade, pepper spray,
Ed Pilkington in New York a steel mallet and $600 in cash. She also had
February 7, 2007 several large black bin liners, six latex gloves and
rubber tubing, as well as a wig and two hooded
1 Last July, it took Lisa Nowak 12 days, 18 hours, trench coats for disguise.
37 minutes and 54 seconds, travelling a distance
of 5.3 million miles, to win her position in one of 7 Most peculiarly, she wore a nappy on the journey
the world’s most elite clubs: travellers in space. to reduce the need for stops – an in-house trick
Last Monday, it took her about 14 hours, and a as astronauts wear nappies during take off and
journey of 950 miles, to lose it. landing.

2 Yesterday, Mrs Nowak was charged with 8 The police affidavit states that she had
attempted first-degree murder in the most bizarre discovered that Colleen Shipman, a US air force
incident involving any of NASA’s active-duty captain, was flying in from Houston to Orlando
astronauts. The charge, together with others of that night.
attempted kidnapping and battery, relate to an
apparent love triangle she was involved in with 9 Mrs Nowak wanted to be there to “scare her”,
a fellow male astronaut and a female air force she later told police, into talking about her
captain whom she suspected of being a rival to relationship with the man at the centre of the love
his affections. triangle.

3 A Florida judge ruled last night that Mrs Nowak 10 He is Bill Oefelein, 41, from Alaska, who
could be fitted with a tracking device and underwent astronaut training with Mrs Nowak
released from custody if she could come up with and like her went into space for the first time
$25,000 (£13,000) bail and did not contact her last year, also on Discovery, although they have
alleged victim. never flown together. Evidence of Mrs Nowak’s
feelings towards Mr Oefelein were found in a
4 To say the group to which 43-year-old Mrs letter in her car, together with emails between
Nowak belongs is ‘select’ is an understatement: him and Ms Shipman, as well as directions
she is one of only 97 astronauts currently trained to Ms Shipman’s house. In her statement to
and ready to fly, 20 of them women. NASA has police, Mrs Nowak said she had “more than a
selected a total of just 321 astronauts since the working relationship, but less than a romantic
US agency began preparing to go into space in relationship” with him.
1959.
11 Ms Shipman allegedly saw Mrs Nowak, whom
5 All of which makes her behaviour in the early she had never met before, wearing a hooded
hours of Monday so baffling. The married mother trench coat, dark glasses and the wig, following
of three, separated from her husband, who had her on a bus from the airport lounge to the car
been subjected to NASA’s rigorous screening park. Afraid, she hurried to her car. She could
process and trained for 10 years to cope with hear running footsteps behind her and as she
extreme stress before her flight in the Discovery slammed the door Mrs Nowak slapped the
space shuttle, embarked on her own private window and tried to pull the door open.
mission.

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12 “Can you help me, please? My boyfriend was to fly in very cramped spaces and under intense
supposed to pick me up and he is not here,” Mrs stress so they have to be able to cope.”
Nowak is alleged to have pleaded. When Ms
Shipman said she could not help, the astronaut 15 Mrs Nowak had a key technical role in the July
started to cry. Ms Shipman wound down her flight, in charge of a robotic arm for repairing the
window a couple of inches at which Mrs Nowak international space station with which it docked.
let off the pepper spray. Ms Shipman drove off,
her eyes burning, and raised the alarm. She 16 Before the mission, she said she had first
alleges the astronaut had been stalking her for become interested in space at the age of
around two months. five when she watched the moon landing on
television, and on visits to the Air and Space
13 Sergeant Barb Jones of Orlando police said last Museum in Washington.
night: “The intent was there to cause serious
bodily injury or death.” Mrs Nowak’s behaviour 17 Her official photograph taken before the flight
and subsequent appearance in court has shows her in full astronaut’s suit, smiling broadly.
amazed people in the rarefied world of space Yesterday a picture with a difference was running
exploration. Tariq Malik, who covers shuttle on TV screens: Mrs Nowak as she was booked
missions for the website space.com and who into jail, her forehead creased, eyes pinched,
interviewed Mrs Nowak shortly before she went shoulders hunched and hair askew. NASA put
into space, said astronauts were carefully chosen her on a 30-day suspension and removed her
and trained so that surprises did not happen. from all shuttle mission activities.

14 “They go through deep medical and © Guardian News & Media 2007
psychological screening,” he said. “They have First published in The Guardian, 7/2/07

4 General understanding

Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences:

1 The time Mrs Nowak spent becoming an astronaut a her lover was seeing another woman.
2 She was afraid that b because she took a lot of weapons with her.
3 Her employers had made an effort to check that c she was not easy to recognize.
14 It was clear that she planned to attack somebody d but as soon as she could, she hurt Ms Shipman.
5 The man she was in love with e she was a perfectly suitable astronaut.
6 When Mrs Nowak approached Ms Shipman f since she was a small child.
7 Mrs Nowak pretended she just wanted to talk g was wasted in a few hours of jealous anger.
8 She had been fascinated by space travel h had studied with her to be an astronaut.

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5 Vocabulary development

Find words in the text that mean the following. The paragraph numbers are given.

1. extremely strange (2)

2. the crime of hitting someone (2)

3. being kept in prison until you go to court (3)

4. money you leave with the court to make sure you appear for your trial (3)

5. confusing (adj) (5)

6. legal document containing someone’s statement (8)

7. shut very loudly (11)

8. hit with the palm of your hand (11)

9. extremely special and unusual (13)

10. writes reports about (13)

6 Collocations
From memory, complete the collocations below with words from the box.

intense custody carefully shuttle

admission court screening cramped

1. released from _____________

2. rigorous ____________ process

3. space ____________

4. by her own ____________

5. appearance in ____________

6. ____________ chosen

7. very ____________ spaces

8. under ____________ stress

Now scan the text quickly to see if you were right.

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7 Compound words
Match the beginnings and endings of these compound adjectives and nouns from memory.

first- spray
active- blade
folding tubing
4-inch house
pepper gloves
bin degree
latex liners
rubber duty
in- knife

First scan the text to see if you were right. Then complete the descriptions below with one of the
compound expressions.

1. You can cut things with this, and keep it safely in your pocket: _______________.

2. You can wear these to protect your hands: _______________.

3. A kind of flexible pipe that can hold liquid or gas: _______________.

4. People who work for the military as their main job are on _______________.

5. The cutting part of a knife, about 10 cm long: _______________.

6. Describing something that is done inside a company: _______________.

7. Large plastic bags that go inside rubbish containers: _______________.

8. Very painful liquid that can burn your face or blind you: _______________.

9. If you kill somebody because you intend to, the murder is called _______________.

8 Discussion

What aspects of Mrs Novak’s behaviour do you sympathize with?

What aspects are you critical of?

What do you think would be a suitable punishment?

Would you like to be an astronaut? Why / why not?

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1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

sperm siblings donor conceive spike

prosaic offspring opt counsel striking

1. If something is ____________, it is very ordinary and lacks imagination or excitement.

2. If something is ____________, it attracts your interest or attention because of some unusual feature.

3. If you ____________ to do something, you choose to do it.

4. A ____________ is someone who gives blood, eggs or a part of their body to be used in the medical treatment

of someone else.

5. A ____________ is a sudden increase in something, especially when shown in statistics.

6. Your ____________ are your brothers and sisters.

7. Your ____________ are your children.

8. ____________ is a cell from a man that fertilizes a woman’s egg and makes her pregnant.

9. When a woman ____________, she becomes pregnant.

10. If you ____________ someone, you give them advice and help with their problems.

2 Correct the statements

The information given in these sentences is not correct, according to the text. Look in the text, find the
correct information and rewrite the sentences accordingly.

1. Jeffrey Harrison donated sperm in the 1990s.

2. He was paid between $500 and $1000 per sample.

3. So far five of Mr Harrison’s offspring have managed to find him.

4. Mr Harrison confirmed his identity by emailing a photograph of himself to Wendy Kramer of the

Donor Sibling Registry website.

5. There is strict regulation of sperm donations in the United States.

6. There was a sharp increase in sperm donations in the early 1980s.

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‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor comes face to paid between $50 and $100 a sample, which was
face with his children 20 years later labelled simply Donor 150. He had also provided
Father comes forward after teenagers conduct a very desirable profile and was one of the sperm
search through website. bank’s most requested donors. However, reading
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles the description of him may have led his newly
February 16, 2007 found children to conjure up an image slightly at
odds with his 2007 persona.
The likeness is striking. The man and the young
5 “Degree in philosophy from Europe,” reads the
1 woman share the same high forehead, their description of Donor 150. “Dancer/Musician/
noses are similar, even their hair and build have
Fitness Instructor/Writer. Protestant. Interests:
more than a little in common. They might pass
Health, guitar, swimming, dancing, writing, travel.
for father and daughter. But there are things they
Loves animals and children, calls himself ‘happy-
do not share. Before this week, they had never
go-lucky’.”
met. The man, Jeffrey Harrison, lives with his
four dogs in a motor home parked on the street 6 Two of Mr Harrison’s offspring got in touch with
in Venice, California. The woman, Ryann M, is a each other through the Donor Sibling Registry,
teenager living in a settled family. the website set up by Ms Kramer three years
ago, which currently has 7,394 members,
Now they know a lot more about each other.
including 430 donors who are willing to be found.
2 They know that they are father and daughter, Soon a third joined them.
that Ryann was conceived thanks to sperm
donated by Mr Harrison in the 1980s. They also 7 At the weekend, Mr Harrison emailed a copy
know Ryann is one of six half-siblings, and that of his birth certificate to Ms Kramer, confirming
Mr Harrison may need to get a larger home. “It’s his identity as Donor 150. “We talked for hours
pretty obvious that he’s their father,” said Wendy on Saturday night,” Ms Kramer said. “It was a
Kramer, whose website put Mr Harrison and his very big risk for him. He wanted to make the
offspring in touch. “I looked at the picture and connection but was a little bit nervous and
thought, ‘Oh my God’.” afraid.” The same day, Ms Kramer contacted
the families. “[I] told them to take their time and
Mr Harrison’s response to meeting his offspring
to take it slow. I guess they ignored my advice.
3 for the first time was equally prosaic. “The first They were all very excited and by the next day
thing he said was, ‘Holy moly’,” 17-year-old
everybody was conference calling.”
Danielle Pagano, another of Mr Harrison’s
children, told the New York Times after meeting 8 Ms Kramer is confident that the offspring - who
him this week. “He’s sort of a free spirit, and I sometimes refer to themselves as “half-adopted”
don’t care what career he has. I got to talk to - will get along with their biological father. “He’s
his dogs.” While three of Mr Harrison’s offspring a simple man and he lives a very simple life,”
have been very active in tracking him down, two she said. “These girls don’t care about his status
of them, in their early teens, still do not know of or his money. He’s a very gentle soul, he’s very
his existence. kind, very sweet and open, with a great sense of
humour.”
Mr Harrison decided to come forward after
4 reading a newspaper article about two teenage 9 The extended family has now retreated from the
girls who had found out that they were conceived media, opting to spend the next week getting to
using his sperm and were trying to find him. The know each other. But while the story is notable, it
article made him “choke on his coffee”. He had is far from unique, and forms part of an untracked
visited California Cryobank in the 1980s, being phenomenon in the US, where there is little

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regulation of sperm donations. Nobody knows 11 “If I ran a sperm bank I would surely be talking
whether a donor’s sperm is used to conceive a about self-regulation, before it is forced,” said
child, or how many children are conceived from Ms Kramer. “It’s just a question of doing the right
each donor. thing. Nobody’s asked the question here that has
been asked in country after country, in Europe
10 On Wednesday alone this week, two donor and elsewhere: in going forward, what is in the
fathers were put in touch with their offspring best interests of the child? They have considered
through the Donor Sibling Registry. In a typical the interests of the sperm bank, the parents
month, the website puts 60-80 people in touch and the industry, but not the children. Even
with each other, said Ms Kramer. One of the now sperm banks and medical professionals
donors listed on the website has 50 offspring; are counselling parents to keep it secret. It can
another recently came forward to acknowledge be devastating. This is all about redefining the
his 22 children. The sperm bank industry family,” she said. “We’re strangers but we’re very
estimates that 30,000 children are conceived much connected.”
each year from donated sperm. A spike in sperm
donations in the mid-1980s means that many © Guardian News & Media 2007
donor-conceived children are now coming of age First published in The Guardian, 16/2/07
and are seeking answers about their parentage.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. When Jeffrey Harrison’s offspring read his profile they…

a. would have had a very clear picture of what he was like.
b. would have formed a picture of him that was totally different from what he was like.
c. would have formed a picture of him that was a little different from what he was like.

2. The families of Mr Harrison’s offspring…

a. listened carefully to Ms Kramer’s advice.
b. didn’t want to listen to Ms Kramer’s advice.
c. listened to Ms Kramer’s advice but didn’t follow it.

3. Sperm donation in the United States is…

a. closely monitored.
b. virtually unregulated.
c. a new phenomenon.

4. Ms Kramer believes that the sperm bank industry…

a. has not considered the best interests of the child.
b. should counsel parents to keep things secret.
c. should be strictly regulated.

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4 Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.

1. pass for a. to bring a feeling, image or memory to your mind

2. track down b. to start a business, organization or institution

3. come forward c. to be accepted, wrongly, as a particular type of person

4. conjure up d. to be on friendly terms

5. get along with e. to find after a long search

6. set up f. to volunteer to offer information

5 Expressions

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these phrases from the text.

happy-go-lucky holy moly at odds with extended family

come of age self-regulation

1. If something is ____________ something else, it is different from it when it should be the same.

2. ____________ is a mild expression of surprise used in American English.

3. An ____________ is a family group that includes cousins, nephews, nieces etc.

4. A ____________ person is one who doesn’t worry too much about the future.

5. ____________ is a process whereby organizations control themselves and make their own rules.

6. When children ____________ they reach the age when they are legally adults.

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6 Noun and verb collocations

Match the nouns in the left-hand column with the verbs in the right-hand column.

1. keep a. an image

2. make b. someone’s advice

3. conjure up c. a child

4. confirm d. a connection

5. ignore e. your identity

6. conceive f. a secret

7 Discussion

Imagine that at the age of 18 your parents told you that you were conceived using sperm donated by a sperm

donor. Would you like to meet your biological father? Why? Why not?

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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences below using the following key words from the text.

entrepreneur compile inherit retail tycoon

scour magnate founder eligible notable

1. If someone is described as ____________, they are considered to be a suitable marriage partner because they

are rich or attractive in some other way.

2. If someone or something is ____________, they are interesting enough to be noticed.

3. If you ____________ a place, you search it thoroughly.

4. When you ____________ something, you make a list by bringing together information from different places.

5. An ____________ is someone who uses money to start businesses and make deals.

6. A ____________ is a rich and powerful person involved in business or industry.

7. A ____________ is a successful, powerful and important businessman, particularly in the fields of oil, shipping

and the media.

8. If you ____________ wealth, you receive it from someone who has died.

9. The process of selling goods direct to the public is known as ____________.

10. A person who starts a company or an organization is known as its ____________.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.

1. The world’s richest man is Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft.

2. Bill Gates’ personal fortune is worth more than $60 billion.

3. There are over 1,000 dollar billionaires in the world.

4. There are more dollar billionaires in China than in India.

5. Russia has more dollar billionaires than India and China combined.

6. The richest woman in the world is the founder of L’Oreal.

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Super-rich get richer Harmsworth, is ranked at 618 with $1.6bn and
James Dyson cleans up at the same ranking,
David Teather
also with $1.6bn. Harry Potter author JK Rowling
March 9, 2007
scrapes in at the bottom of the list with a fortune
valued at $1bn. There are two others who have
1 The rich just keep getting richer. There are now
made their fortunes from a decidedly different
a record 946 dollar billionaires around the globe,
type of publishing; Richard Desmond the former
according to the latest Forbes ranking; making
soft porn publisher who now owns the Daily
their fortunes in everything from telecoms to steel
Express is 754th on the list with $1.3bn in the
to Chinese dumplings.
bank and Paul Raymond, who owns Escort,
2 For the 13th year straight, the ranking was Mayfair and Razzle magazines, is also worth
topped by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who $1bn.
is rapidly becoming as well known for giving
6 A clear trend to emerge is the growing wealth
his money away as he is for accumulating it.
in both China and India, the two firebrand
Mr Gates’ fortune rose $6bn last year to $56bn
economies driving global growth. Another 14
(£29bn). His friend, the wisecracking investment
people from India joined the list. With a total of
expert Warren Buffett, remained in second
36 billionaires, India has now overtaken Japan,
spot. His fortune rose $10bn during the year to
which has 24, as home to the most billionaires
reach $52bn. Like Mr Gates, he has promised
in Asia. There are three Indians in the top 20,
to give virtually all of his money to charitable
led by Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian citizen but a
causes. Third on the list is the Mexican telecoms
London resident, who is ranked at number five
entrepreneur Carlos Slim Helu, who added
with $32bn.
$19bn to his wealth, taking him to $49bn.
7 There were 13 Chinese newcomers including Li
3 The combined wealth on the list grew 35% during
Wei, the founder of Synear Food Holding. Her
the year to $3.5 trillion on the back of rising
company is one of China’s largest producers
property prices, commodities and stock markets.
of frozen food, including dumplings, and is an
Luisa Kroll who helped compile the list at Forbes
official supplier to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
described it as “kind of an extraordinary year”. In
the previous list there were just 793 billionaires. 8 The US still has 44% of the world’s billionaires
but its share is shrinking. Russia is also rising
4 The highest ranking Briton on the list is the Duke
fast and has 53 billionaires according to Forbes.
of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor,
The Wal-Mart family dropped from the top 20,
at number 55, who inherited much of his wealth
reflecting a difficult year for the world’s largest
and is one of the UK’s wealthiest landowners.
retailer.
He is said to be worth $11bn. Sir Philip Green,
the retail entrepreneur who controls British Home 9 The average billionaire is 62 years old and 60%
Stores and Topshop owner Arcadia is the second of the people on the list made their money from
ranked Briton at 104. Sir Philip, 55, is sitting on scratch. Around 100 eligible men are included
a $7bn fortune. Next are the property tycoons among the world’s wealthiest. As Forbes says,
David and Simon Rueben, worth a combined singletons should stop scouring the grocery
$4.5bn and ranked at 177. store aisles and bars and start studying the list.
Heading the bachelor pack are Google founders
5 There are 29 British citizens on the list. Virgin
Larry Page and Sergey Brin - unmarried at 33
founder Sir Richard Branson is ranked 230
and 34 respectively, they are worth $16.6bn
with $3.8bn; David Sainsbury, a scion of the
apiece, taking 26th place in the overall list.
grocery chain empire, is 432nd with $2.2bn;
Other notable bachelor boys are Russian metals
Daily Mail boss Viscount Rothermere, Jonathan
magnate Mikhail Prokhorov, in 38th place with

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an estimated net worth of $13.5bn; or divorced The top-ranking woman, at number 12, is 84-
James Packer, sitting on a more modest $5.5bn year-old L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, with
media fortune. a fortune of $20.7bn. Chat show queen Oprah
Winfrey is estimated to be worth $1.5bn.
10 For those after a walk on the wild side, it’s
worth looking down the list to 664th place for © Guardian News & Media 2007
the accordion-playing, fire-breathing founder of First published in The Guardian, 9/3/07
Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte. The 47-year-old
Canadian founded his circus-based, animal-free
acrobatic show in 1984 and still retains 95% of
the business. His worth is estimated at $1.5bn.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the information in the text.

1. The main reason for the 35% increase in the combined wealth of the world’s dollar billionaires last year was...

a. the fact that it was an extraordinary year.

b. increased sales.

c. rising property and commodity prices.

2. Where is the Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, on the rich list?

a. Near the top.

b. At the very bottom.

c. Near the bottom.

3. Which two economies are said to be driving global economic growth?

a. The US and China

b. India and China

c. India and Russia

4. Which of these sentences is true according to the text?

a. More than half the people on the rich list started with nothing.
b. Most of the people on the rich list started with nothing.
c. A few of the people on the rich list started with nothing.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find these words and expressions in the text.

1. A noun meaning a position on a list that shows how good someone is compared to others. (para 2)

2. A verb meaning to get more and more of something over a period of time. (para 2)

3. A phrase meaning organizations that provide help to people who need it. (para 2)

4. A phrase meaning because of something/helped by something. (para 3)

5. A noun meaning things that can be bought or sold, especially food products and fuels. (para 3)

6. A noun meaning a young member of a rich or important family. (para 5)

7. A two-word verb meaning to make a lot of money. (para 5)

8. An adverb meaning in a way that is impossible to doubt and easy to see. (para 5)

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.

1. accumulate a. global economic growth

2. compile b. wealth
3. found c. a ranking

4. make d. food

5. top e. a rival/a competitor

6. drive f. a business

7. overtake g. a fortune

8. produce h. a list

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6 Vocabulary 3: Word formation

Fill the gaps with an appropriate form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence.

1. Bill Gates is the ____________ of Microsoft. (FOUND)

2. For some people the ____________ of wealth is the main focus of their lives. (ACCUMULATE)
3. When a rich person dies, a lot of their fortune may be lost in ____________ tax. (INHERIT)
4. The rich often invest in ____________ items such as paintings. (VALUE)
5. The ____________ of powerful economies in India and China has boosted the world economy. (EMERGE)
6. Investors expect a good return on their ____________ . (INVEST)
7. India and China are driving global economic ____________ . (GROW)
8. ____________ costs are a problems for many businesses. (RISE)

7 Discussion

Should there be a limit on how much money an individual can have? What can you do with more than $1 billion?
Shouldn’t this money be redistributed to help the poor?

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1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

henchman bounty enclave discount corruption

martyr cleric ruthless long-winded remote

1. If something is ____________, it uses more words and takes more time than necessary to say something.

2. ____________ is dishonest or illegal behaviour by people in positions of power.

3. A ____________ region is far away from cities, towns or people.

4. A ____________ is money offered as a reward for catching or killing a criminal.

5. A ____________ person is willing to make other people suffer so that they can achieve their aims.

6. An ____________ is an area of a country where a particular group of people live.

7. A ____________ is a supporter of a powerful person, especially one who is willing to behave in a violent or

immoral way.

8. A ____________ is someone who suffers or is killed because of their political or religious beliefs.

9. If you ____________ something, you do not consider it to be important, possible or likely.

10. A ____________ is a person who leads religious services.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these sentences are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.

1. Osama bin Laden is 60 years old.

2. He is a member of the Wahhabi sect of Islam.

3. There is a $50 million reward offered for the capture of bin Laden.

4. Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia.

5. Bin Laden’s deputy in al-Qaida is Ayman al-Zawahiri.

6. Most Afghans have a positive view of bin Laden.

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Dead or alive, on his 50th birthday 4 Bin Laden’s kidney problems have been the
ghost of the Hindu Kush haunts US subject of intense speculation. Some watchers
CIA think they know where Osama bin Laden claim he is dependent on dialysis; others say
is. So do local tribesmen - hiding in the this is nonsense. Last September a French
White House. newspaper reported he had died of typhoid in the
tribal belt.
Declan Walsh in Islamabad
March 10, 2007 5 America’s spies are convinced OBL, as they
call him, is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal belt. “To
the best of our knowledge the senior leadership,
1 Osama bin Laden marks his 50th birthday today, number one and two, are there,” said Admiral
probably in a hideout in the tribal lands between
Mike McConnell, the new director of national
Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s tempting to
intelligence, last week. Based on this the CIA is
imagine the grey-bearded jihadi hunched over a
sending fresh operatives to trap him, ABC News
cake with burning candles inside a cave, smiling
reported last Tuesday.
henchmen gathered behind him. In reality it’s not
likely to be much of a party. Birthday parties are 6 But if the Americans think he is in the border
frowned upon by Wahhabi puritans such as the areas, the tribesmen who live there think the
al-Qaida leader, who consider such celebrations opposite. Across the border in Afghanistan the
a vulgar western import. But as he passes belief that bin Laden has already been caught by
another milestone, he at least has reason to America - and is even hidden inside the White
enjoy a quiet smile. House - is remarkably common. “Many, many
people believe such stories,” said Sarah Chayes,
2 Six years after 9/11, bin Laden is maddeningly
a writer who lives in Kandahar. If America really
out of reach. Despite the world’s largest manhunt
has such strong soldiers and powerful satellites,
and a $25m bounty, he remains at large, the
they conclude, bin Laden must already be in
Scarlet Pimpernel of jihad. A powerful myth
the bag.
has grown around him - the tall, stern-faced
Saudi-born militant has become the ghost of the
7 Most Afghans have little time for the man who
Hindu Kush, variously reported dead or alive at
sparked an invasion of their country in 2001.
different points inside the epic mountain range.
Nine out of 10 people view him negatively,
The Pakistani army thought it had him cornered
according to a recent poll. But elsewhere in the
in a village in the lawless North Waziristan
Muslim world he is a man to be greatly admired.
tribal agency in 2003. A year later the Spanish
“Osama is a hero,” said Kamran Ali, a 23-year-
newspaper El Mundo claimed to have located
old call centre operator in Islamabad. “Americans
him inside a Muslim enclave of western China.
have done many bad things against Muslims.
After the mammoth earthquake that devastated
Osama stands up to them.” Like many Pakistanis
northern Pakistan, Senator Harry Reid from
he discounted suggestions that Bin Laden
Nevada announced that bin Laden had died
was linked to the World Trade Centre attacks.
under the rubble.
“There’s no proof of that,” he said.
3 At about the same time a discreet team of
8 That sentiment is echoed across the Muslim
American investigators arrived in Chitral, a
world, said Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the
quiet mountain retreat to the north, where they
London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.
believed they had picked up the trail. Shortly
But, he stressed, support for bin Laden does
afterwards angry local clerics blew their cover
not equate to a vote for terrorism. “When people
and they left.
in Palestine voted for Hamas it was not for
radicalism, they voted against corruption.

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This is the same. Because people hate American 10 The messages are often long-winded and
foreign policy and corrupt Arab dictatorships they convoluted. Most of the time bin Laden employs
sympathize with al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. silence much more effectively, said Michael
It doesn’t mean they approve of al-Qaida’s Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s bin Laden
actions or September 11,” he said. unit. “It suggests they are ready to attack again.
It is a tremendously powerful and sophisticated
9 Could bin Laden be dead? Mullah Dadullah,
approach,” he said. Meanwhile, in the mountain
a Taliban commander with a reputation for forests and remote valleys of the tribal belt, the
ruthlessness, claims to be in touch. “We hunt continues.
exchange messages to share plans,” he said
in one of two recent interviews. “It’s very hard © Guardian News & Media 2007
for anyone to see bin Laden himself now but First published in The Guardian, 10/3/07
we know he’s still alive. He’s not yet martyred.”
The Emir, as bin Laden is known to followers,
is becoming increasingly bold. As-Sahab, the
al-Qaida video production house, released more
than 20 audio and videotapes from bin Laden
and his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in 2006.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1.Where do the Americans think bin Laden is?

a. China

b. Afghanistan

c. Pakistan

2. Where do many Afghans think bin Laden is?

a. America

b. China

c. Afghanistan

3. Why, according to the editor of al-Quds al-Arabi, do many people have sympathy for al-Qaida?

a. Because they support al-Qaida’s tactics.

b. Because they hate American foreign policy and corrupt Arab governments.
c. Because they hate Americans.

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4. What, according to Michael Scheuer, is bin Laden’s most effective tactic?

a. Audiotapes.

b. Silence.

c. Videotapes.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the first two paragraphs of the text and find the following.

1. A noun meaning a holy warrior.

2. An adjective meaning sitting with your back and shoulders curved forwards.

3. A two-word verb meaning to disapprove of.

4. A noun meaning someone who has strict moral or religious principles.

5. An adjective meaning rude, unpleasant and offensive.

6. A noun meaning an event that marks an important stage in a process.

7. An adverb meaning annoyingly.

8. A verb meaning to force a person into a place they cannot escape from.

5 Vocabulary 2: Expressions

Match these expressions from the text with their meanings.

1. pick up someone’s trail a. to not allow yourself to be treated badly

2. blow someone’s cover b. as far as we know

3. to be out of reach c. to find out where someone has recently been

4. to stand up to someone d. to be far enough away to evade capture

5. to be at large e. to tell people who someone really is

6. to the best of our knowledge f. to be free/not arrested

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6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs + prepositions

Fill the gaps using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.

1. vote _______
2. vote _______
3. equate _______
4. depend _______
5. die _______
6. approve _______
7. link _______
8. sympathize _______

7 Discussion

What is your view of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden? Do you regard them as terrorists or freedom-fighters?

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1 Pre-reading 1: Key words

Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below.

a tug an asteroid a catastrophe a collision to devastate

to deflect an orbit propulsion an ion a tractor

1. ____________ – The path that a small object follows round a larger object in space.

2. ____________ – A terrible disaster.

3. ____________ – Usually, a vehicle used on a farm to pull other machines; here, a space vehicle with the

power to pull another object towards it.

4. ____________ – A mass of rock like a very small planet in space.

5. ____________ – An accident when one thing crashes into another.

6. ____________ – To make something move in a different direction.

7. ____________ – An atom with an electrical force.

8. ____________ – A small, powerful boat used for pulling larger boats.

9. ____________ – The force that pushes something forward.

10. ____________ – To completely destroy something, or cause enormous damage.

2 Pre-reading 2: Prediction

Look at the main headline, the sub-heading and the key words.

1. Do you think the Earth is in immediate danger?

2. Do you think the scientists have already found a solution?

Now read the text quickly to find out.

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Big blasts or tiny tugs: how to stop an NEO wider than 1km, however, collides with
asteroid catastrophe Earth every few hundred thousand years and an
NEO larger than 6km, which could cause mass
Great danger of a crash with Earth, but scientists
extinction, will collide with Earth every 100 million
are meeting to find a solution.
years. Experts agree that we are overdue for a
Alok Jha, science correspondent big one.
March 7, 2007
6 A 390-metre wide asteroid named Apophis,
(Note that some words, written in italics and discovered in 2004, has an outside chance* of
marked like this*, are explained in the footnotes hitting the Earth in 2036. If it struck, Apophis
at the end of the article.) would release more than 100,000 times the
energy released in the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.
1 A huge asteroid hurtles in from outer space to
This blast would directly affect thousands of
devastate the Earth, an unstoppable force of
square kilometres, but the dust released into
nature from which there is no escape. Just such
the atmosphere would affect the whole planet.
a catastrophe is thought to have killed off the
There could be dark skies for a year or more,
dinosaurs and, according to most experts, it is
destroying crops worldwide.
only a matter of time before a similar fate befalls
the human race.
7 Dr Barbee suggests that the solution to the
problem of NEOs is nuclear. Detonated at the
2 But perhaps not all hope is lost. Hundreds of correct position, a nuclear weapon could blast
scientists, from nuclear weapons engineers to
away a thin shell of material from the asteroid,
planetary experts, are gathering in Washington
and cause the NEO “to miss Earth rather than
this week to try to develop a master plan to
collide”.
protect the Earth from such an asteroid.
8 The advantage of this idea is that it is possible
3 The Planetary Defence Conference, organized
with current technology - though no one has
by the US Aerospace Corporation, will bring
actually tried it yet.
together scores of ideas on how to develop
technology to track and deflect objects heading
9 Piet Hut, another expert, has a less dangerous
towards the Earth. The gathering will also
idea - a robotic tugboat that could attach itself to
consider the sticky problem of public relations
an asteroid and push it out of the Earth’s path.
- is it best to warn people if the worst comes to
“Based on early warning, provided by ground
the worst?
tracking and orbit prediction, it would be sent out
10 years or more before potential impact”.
4 “The collision of a moderately large asteroid or
comet, also referred to as a near-Earth object
10 The performance of the tugboat, he says,
(NEO), with Earth would have catastrophic
would depend on the development of a high-
consequences,” writes Dr Barbee, a space
performance electric propulsion system called
expert in a discussion paper to be presented at
an ion engine. Instead of burning chemicals for
the meeting. “Such events have occurred in the
fuel, these engines propel a spacecraft forwards
past and will occur again in the future. However,
by ejecting charged particles the other way.
for the first time in known history, humanity
The thrust is minuscule - like the pressure of a
may have the technology required to counter
piece of paper on your hand - but the engine
this threat.”
is extremely efficient and lasts far longer than
5 Many smaller objects around the Earth’s orbit conventional rocket engines. Prof Hut calculates
break up when they reach the atmosphere, with that such an engine could be used to deflect
no impact beyond a short fireworks display. An NEOs up to 800 metres across.

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11 Ion engines would also be essential for another Outside chance
type of probe, the “gravity tractor”. Instead of Apophis had been tracked since its discovery in
landing on an asteroid, though, the gravity tractor June 2004. In December that year, astronomers
would hover near it, using the slight gravitational started to worry. When they projected its future
attraction* between the probe and the NEO to orbit, they calculated that the chances of it hitting
change its path. the Earth in 2029 were alarming. When it passes
the Earth again on 13 April 2029, the asteroid
12 As well as new technology plans, the Washington should be deflected by the Earth and alter its
meeting will also consider how news of a orbit. But if that change makes Apophis pass
potential catastrophic collision would affect the through a particular point in space, called the
public psychologically. Al Harrison, a leading US keyhole, it will collide with the Earth on its next
social psychologist, says an NEO collision would passage, in 2036. However, based on current
present unique problems for the authorities, as information, the chance of Apophis passing
they could know about a “near extinction level” through the keyhole, a 600-metre patch of space,
danger so long in advance. is one in 5,500.

13 The critical question psychologists will address Dark skies

is whether details of an impending impact should Scientists have estimated the effects of a
be kept secret, to avoid widespread panic. massive asteroid collision by examining
In December 2004, for example, scientists simulations of what would happen during a big
calculated that if Apophis did hit, it would land nuclear war.
somewhere along a line that crossed central
Europe, parts of the Middle East, the Ganges Slight gravitational attraction
River valley (the most populated district on Everything in the universe that has mass attracts
Earth), and on out across the Philippines. At the anything else with mass via the force of gravity.
time, the information was kept secret and many If a gravity tractor is placed near an asteroid, the
NEO scientists agreed it was the right thing to do. asteroid will move fractionally towards it. Over a
distance of millions of kilometers, even a slight
14 But Clark Chapman, a US planetary scientist, deflection could move the asteroid out of the
says secrecy goes against the advice of many Earth’s way.
experts in risk management, as studies of
social psychology do not suggest that members © Guardian News & Media 2007
of the public would immediately panic about First published in The Guardian, 07/03/07
an impending impact. On the other hand, if
the news was given clumsily, people might
misunderstand, become unduly alarmed,
stop believing official statements, and ignore
important warnings.

Footnotes

Near-Earth objects
Comets and asteroids pulled into orbits near the
Earth by the gravitational attraction of planets.
Most NEOs are made of ice and dust, or are bits
of rock from the asteroid belt between Jupiter
and Mars.

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3 General understanding
Decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F). If they are false, say why.

1. The asteroid is already directly on its way to collide with the earth.

2. Scientists at the conference are going to discuss ways of preventing a disaster.

3. The conference is also concerned with informing the public about possible dangers.

4. In some ways we are in a better position now to handle a possible crisis.

5. Minor asteroids are breaking up the earth’s atmosphere.

6. Nuclear weapons may be used to destroy Apophis completely.

7. A robotic tugboat would take 10 years to reach the asteroid.

8. Both the tugboat and the gravity tractor would depend on Ion engines.

9. The authorities don’t want to know about the risks in advance.

10. There is a very small chance that if the asteroid misses the earth in 2029, it will hit it in 2036.

4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the word

Find words in the text that mean the following; the paragraph numbers are given.

1. moves rapidly and in an uncontrolled way (1)

2. happens to (1)

3. act to stop something (4)

4. made to explode (7)

5. stay in the same position in the air (11)

6. consider and try to solve (13)

7. likely to happen soon (13)

8. unnecessarily (14)

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Big blasts or tiny tugs
Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary development 2: Collocations

Match the beginnings and endings of these collocations from memory.

1 mass a force
2 outside b relations
3 nuclear c plan
4 unstoppable d paper
5 master e extiction
6 sticky f bomb
7 public g management
8 discussion h panic
9 widespread i chance
10 risk j problem

Now scan the text quickly to see if you were right.

6 Language development: Useful expressions

Reorder the words in these common expressions from memory. The first word has been given.

1. it / matter / only / a / is / time / of

2. but / all / is / hope / lost / not / perhaps

3. if / worst / worst / to / comes / the / the

4. for / known / time / in / the / history / first

5. though / has / one / yet / it / tried / no / actually

6. it / thing / do / the / was / right / to

Now scan the text quickly to see if you were right.

7 Discussion

1. After reading this article, how worried do you think we should be?
2. Which of the solutions put forward by the scientists do you think sounds the most practical?
3. Do you think the public have the right to know about possible dangers of this sort, or do you think they should
be kept in the dark? Why / why not?

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Celebrity boot camp
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1: Key words

1. Look at the headline of the story. What do you think this story will be about?
2. Now guess which of these sentences best sums up the article.

a. There is a new ‘reality TV’ show about fashion.

b. The court sends a famous model to do dirty work as a punishment.
c. A shoe company is changing its image and throws old designs into the rubbish bin.

3. Now look at the sub-headings

• Model begins community sentence for assault

• Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties

a. In the headline, who do you think the ‘model’ is?

b. What do you think a ‘community sentence’ is?

2 Pre-reading 2: Key words

Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below.

a boot camp stilettos combats garbage a shift

a community sentence assault SUV

1. the American word for ‘rubbish’

2. attacking and hitting someone
3. working to help people as a punishment for a crime
4. a place where young criminals are treated very strictly and have to do hard physical work
5. military-style clothes worn by ordinary people
6. American for a ‘four-wheel-drive’ vehicle
7. a period of work time, e.g. in a hospital or factory
8. shoes with very pointed toes and very high heels

Now read the article and check your answers to the questions in Pre-reading 1.

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Celebrity boot camp
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Celebrity boot camp: from stilettos to 6 The perfect finishing touch was a pair of calf-high
combats for Campbell’s garbage shift black combat boots, covered with scratch marks,
Model begins community sentence for assault. slung casually over her shoulder. How many
Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties. hundred dollars did it cost to buy them, and how
many hours of careful attention did it take to make
Ed Pilkington them look so old?
March 20, 2007
7 Inside the warehouse, and out of the reach of
1 Naomi Campbell’s day began along familiar lines press lenses, Ms Campbell changed into her
yesterday. The supermodel was chauffeur-driven boots and put on the standard issue gloves, dust
in a black SUV with tinted windows, surrounded mask and fluorescent safety vest. Then she was
by her minders and bodyguards. Reaching the assigned her tasks for the day, at which point the
venue, she strolled elegantly past a long line full weight of her penance must have become
of press photographers shouting, “Naomi, over evident to her.
here!”, before entering the building and changing
into her costume. 8 Albert Durrell, a sanitation department deputy
chief, explained that she would be asked to
2 And then it all went skewy. Where were the assist- sweep and mop the warehouse floor, the locker
ants to help her put on her clothes? Where were rooms and windows. And yes, he said, “if they are
the makeup artists, the lighting experts and the dirty she will be cleaning toilets”.
seamstresses? Where, for heaven’s sake, was
the Vogue editor Anna Wintour? 9 The one thing she won’t have to endure is the
prolonged attention of the media. The judge at
3 The only people in sight were a few bemused- her sentencing agreed she could stay indoors all
looking garbage collectors, real ones that is, week, partly on the basis of the chaotic media
not actors dressed up as garbage collectors of scrum that followed the pop star turned DJ Boy
the sort used to add spice to fashion shoots. Ms George around when he did community service
Campbell, 36, had just begun a week-long exer- on the street at the same station last summer.
cise in seeing how the other half lived, courtesy of
the New York penal system. 10 “Let me make this clear,” Mr Durrell said. “This
programme has been in Manhattan for over a
4 She was the guest of the city’s sanitation de- year now. We’ve had a couple of celebrities, but
partment and will spend each day this week, the bottom line is everyone is treated with respect
from 8am to 4pm, at its warehouse in downtown and dignity and they have a job to do and they
Manhattan on the edge of the East River. The perform well at it. So far so good, we haven’t had
community service, along with a compulsory pay- any problems.”
ment of $185 and a two-day anger management
course, was her punishment for throwing a mobile 11 If Ms Campbell, or any of the three other offend-
phone at her housemaid, Ana Scolavino, who ers doing community service with her this week,
needed four stitches to the head. failed to do what they were told, he added, they
would be straight back in front of a judge.
5 For a celebrity who has endured a lot of bad press
over the incident a year ago, Ms Campbell pulled 12 The setting may at least remind Ms Campbell of
off her entry to the warehouse at Pier 36 with her roots in Streatham, an area of south London
considerable aplomb. She wore six-inch stiletto not dissimilar to this concrete-rich neighbourhood
heels - believed to be Christian Louboutin, with of Manhattan. Pier 36 sits opposite a line of red-
their characteristic red soles - brown leggings, a brick tower blocks. Running above the warehouse
black coat and hat and sunglasses.

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Celebrity boot camp
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is one of New York’s busiest dual carriageways, 14 What Ms Campbell learns from her stay under
the elevated Franklin D Roosevelt Drive whose the bridge - whether, in particular, she takes from
greyness is utterly out of keeping with its name. it a new empathy for the household staff in her
employ - remains to be seen. If nothing else,
13 At the entrance to the compound are signs warn- she may acquire a healthy respect for New York
ing “No trespassing, violators will be prosecut- garbage, and the men and women who up until
ed”, which raises this week have kept it from her sight.
the pleasing thought of Ms Campbell attempt-
ing to break her way back into it once she has © Guardian News and Media 2007
finished her sentence, having found the experi- First published in the Guardian 20/03/07
ence so rewarding.

3 General understanding

Some of these sentences about the text are incorrect. Say which ones, and say why.

1. Naomi Campbell started her day at a photo shoot.

2. Her usual assistants had not come in to work.
3. Fashion photographers sometimes use people pretending to be workmen to add atmosphere to their pictures.
4. Naomi Cambell was paid to visit the sanitation department.
5. Christian Louboutin designs shoes.
6. Somebody spent a long time making her boots look worn out.
7. The clothes she had to wear were very heavy.
8. She was allowed to work inside so that the press wouldn’t be able to photograph her.
9. Albert Durrell runs a TV programme.
10. The writer hopes the experience will make her a more understanding person.

4 Vocabulary development 1

Find words in the text that mean the following; the paragraph numbers are given.

1. given a slightly different colour (1)

2. wrong, crazy (2)
3. thanks to (3)
4. short pieces of thread for joining someone’s skin together after it has been cut (4)
5. suffered, had to live with (5)
6. calm confidence in a difficult situation (5)
7. thrown, hanging (6)
8. to clean with a wet cloth, usually on the end of a long stick (8)
9. a disorganized crowd of people, all trying to get something (9)
10. a feeling of understanding for other people (14)

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Celebrity boot camp
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5 Vocabulary development 2: Compound adjectives

Match the beginnings and endings of these collocations from memory.

1. chauffeur- a long

2. bemused- b high

3. week- c brick

4. two- d rich

5. six- e driven

6. calf- f day

7. concrete- g looking

8. red- h inch

Now scan the text quickly to check.

Noticing the rule:

What do you notice about the collocations using numbers?

6 Vocabulary development 3 Common expressions

Can you complete these common expressions without looking back at the text?
(The first letter of the missing word is given to help you).

1. along f lines
2. for heaven’s s
3. seeing how the other h lived
4. the perfect f touch
5. out of the r of
6. the b line
7. So far so g
8. out of k with
9. remains to be s
10. a h respect for

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Celebrity boot camp
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a. First, scan the text quickly to check your answers.

b. Now, match each expression with one of these meanings.

a. far away from, hidden from

b. the last detail that makes something look just right
c. the most basic fact or issue in a situation
d. in strange contrast to
e. an appropriate admiration for
f. an expression of surprise and sometimes annoyance
g. in the usual way
h. we cannot know yet
i. it’s been all right up to now
j. finding out what life is like for the poor

7 Recognizing irony

The writer, Ed Pilkington, sometimes uses irony to make his article more amusing.
Find examples in the text which suggest that:

1. the place she was going to was quite an important one: (1)
2. the working clothes she had to wear were part of a fashion show: (1)
3. Naomi Campbell might be grateful for her week’s punishment: (3)
4. her punishment was like an invitation to a party: (4)
5. it is crazy to spend even more money on clothes that look old and worn than on new-looking ones:
(6)
6. that a very ordinary building material is luxurious: - (12)

8 Interpretation and discussion

1. Is Community Service used as an alternative to prison in your country?

2. Do you agree with the idea?
3. For what kind of crimes?
4. Do you think this was a suitable punishment for what Naomi Campbell did?
5. What alternative would you suggest?
6. Some people really enjoy reading about famous people in trouble. Do you?
7. Are there special magazines and TV programmes in your country that depend on gossip
about the problems of celebrities?
8. What is your opinion about these?

135
Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences below using the following key words from the text.

devolved watershed pledge accord protracted

defer loathing mar discord mindful

1. If you ____________ something, you postpone it until a later date.

2. ____________ is another word for spoil.

3. An ____________ is a formal agreement between two countries or groups.

4. ____________ is a state of disagreement between people.

5. If you are ____________ of something you are conscious of it and careful about it.

6. If power is ____________ it is transferred from a central authority to a local one.

7. ____________ is a strong hatred of someone or something.

8. If a process is ____________, it continues for a longer time than is normal or necessary.

9. A ____________ is a serious and public promise to do something.

10. A ____________ is an event that causes an important change to take place.

2 What do you know?

Fill the gaps using these words and phrases from the text.

Downing Street Stormont Sinn Féin DUP uprising chancellor

1. The Irish Republican party is called ____________.

2. The Northern Irish political party that wants to remain part of the UK is called the ____________.

3. The Northern Irish parliament building is called ____________.

4. The British prime minister lives at Number 10 ____________.

5. The British finance minister is known as the ____________.

6. The Easter ____________ in Ireland took place in 1916.

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced
Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies 5 “In the past,” Mr Paisley declared, “the
declare peace government has set arbitrary deadlines but
now ... we as a party have agreed the timing,
Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
setting up and working of the institutions. We
March 27, 2007
have agreed with Sinn Féin that this date will
be Tuesday May 8 ... After a long and difficult
1 Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams sat side by side
time in the province I believe that enormous
yesterday to announce they had reached
opportunities lie ahead ... I want to make it
agreement to share power from May 8 in
clear that I am committed to delivering not only
a devolved Northern Ireland government.
for those who voted for the DUP but for all the
The appearance together of arch-enemies
people of Northern Ireland. We must not allow
- delegations from the Democratic Unionist
our justified loathing of the horrors and tragedies
Party and Sinn Féin - in a televised statement at
of the past to become a barrier to creating a
the end of a meeting in Stormont constitutes a
better and more stable future. In looking to that
watershed in the province’s politics. The private
future we must never forget those who have
negotiating session, lasting little more than
suffered during the dark period from which we
an hour, was the first time the two parties had
are, please God, emerging.”
held direct talks. It enabled both sides to issue
statements pledging political cooperation and the 6 Mr Adams welcomed the DUP’s commitment:
start of a new and peaceful era. “While it is disappointing that the institutions
of the Good Friday agreement have not been
2 The accord between the veteran unionist restored today, I believe the agreement reached
firebrand and the leader of a militant republican
between Sinn Féin and the DUP ... marks the
movement that once killed opponents was
beginning of a new era of politics on this island
welcomed in London and Dublin as the defining
... The relationships between the people of
moment in 10 years of a protracted peace
this island have been marred by centuries of
process. Emergency legislation will be introduced
discord, conflict, hurt and tragedy ... We have all
in the British parliament today to enable a
come a very long way in the process of peace
smooth transition. The devolved government
making and national reconciliation. We are
should be operating before Tony Blair leaves
very conscious of the many people who have
Downing Street.
suffered. We owe it to them to build the best
3 The meeting had been arranged to discuss future possible. It is a time for generosity, a time
the DUP’s reluctance to enter a power- to be mindful of the common good and of the
sharing executive before the deadline of future of all our people.”
midnight yesterday. DUP politicians said they 7 Both parties will go together to the chancellor,
needed more time for Sinn Féin to validate its
Gordon Brown, in the coming weeks to seek
commitment to supporting the police. The six-
a larger financial package for the province.
week deferment will also help DUP members
Mr Paisley said the parties said they would
adjust to change.
engage in preparatory work ahead of May 8 to
4 The agreement came in the first-floor members’ ensure “local ministers hit the ground running”.
dining room at Stormont. The atmosphere was In case the significance of the moment had
described as “cordial” and “constructive”. The escaped notice, the DUP leader emerged from
Sinn Féin leader wore an Easter lily badge, the meeting grinning broadly and shouted to
commemorating those who died in the 1916 journalists waiting below in the great hall at
uprising. There was no handshake. Stormont: “Do you have eyes in your head?”

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced
8 In London the prime minister said: “In a sense, respecting each other’s point of view, and share
everything that we’ve done over the last 10 power, making sure politics is only expressed by
years has been a preparation for this moment. peaceful and democratic means.”
This won’t stop republicans or nationalists being
© Guardian News & Media 2007
any less republican or nationalist, or making
First published in The Guardian, 27/3/07
unionists any less fiercely unionist. But what it
does mean is that people can come together,

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the information in the text.

1. Why was the agreement to share power such a surprise?

a. Because the government had set a deadline.

b. Because it will be operating before Tony Blair leaves Downing Street.

c. Because the two sides had previously been arch-enemies.

2. What was Gerry Adams’ view of the agreement?

a. That it was the beginning of a new era in Irish politics.

b. That it reflected centuries of discord, conflict and tragedy.

c. That it was good that the agreement restored the institutions of the Good Friday agreement.

3. What was Ian Paisley’s view of the agreement?

a. That it was a barrier to a better and more stable future.

b. That it would provide enormous opportunities in the future.

c. That it was only of use for those who voted for the DUP.

4. What was Tony Blair’s view of the agreement?

a. That it will stop nationalists being so nationalist.

b. That it will enable people to share power and respect each other’s point of view.

c. That it will be another 10 years before everything is ready.

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find these words and expressions in the text.

1. A noun meaning a period of time with a particular quality or character. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning using extreme and sometimes violent methods to achieve political or social change.

(para 1)

3. A noun meaning someone who has strong feelings of anger and often expresses them. (para 1)

4. An adjective meaning very experienced and skilled in a particular activity. (para 1)

5. A formal adjective meaning friendly. (para 3)

6. An adjective meaning not based on any particular plan. (para 4)

7. A noun meaning a new and friendly relationship with a previous enemy. (para 5)

8. A four-word expression meaning to be fully prepared for something from the very start. (para 6)

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.

1. share a. someone’s point of view

2. hold b. an institution
3. introduce c. legislation

4. set d. a better future

5. set up e. agreement
6. reach f. talks

7. build g. power

8. respect h. a deadline

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced

6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
These words can all be followed by prepositions. Fill the gaps and check your answers in the text.

1. mindful _______
2. conscious _______
3. committed _______
4. adjust _______
5. a barrier _______
6. preparation _______
7. vote _______
8. relationship _______

7 Discussion

What are the main reasons for conflicts around the world? What solutions are there?

140
Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these key words from the text with their definitions.

backfires to bury a crackdown a gang to mourn

a summit turf unprecedented to vow

1. A group of young people who spend time together and often cause trouble. __________

2. To put someone’s dead body in the ground (often in the passive). __________

3. To feel sad because someone has died. __________

4. An area that a group considers to be their own (informal, uncountable). __________

5. A strong action taken by the authority to stop a particular activity. __________

6. A meeting or series of meetings between leaders. __________

7. Never having happened or existed before. __________

8. To promise to do something. __________

9. If a plan __________ then it has the opposite effect you intended.

2 Read quickly

Skim the text to find the answers to these questions.

1. How many gang members are there in LA?

2. What does the expression ‘a gang war between brown and black’ mean?

3. What two things did Cheryl Green’s death provoke?

4. What is the ‘hit list’?

5. What does Father Boyle do to help people leave gangs?

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Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced
Gang mayhem grips LA 5 Last year there were 269 gang-related killings
in LA. Gang-related crime leaped 15.7 per cent
Paul Harris
last year, as most other types of crime fell. Hate
March 18, 2007
crimes against black people have surged. With
a rapidly growing Hispanic population, LA’s gang
culture is shifting. It means that being black in the
1 Father Greg Boyle keeps a grim count of the
wrong neighbourhood can get you killed.
young gang members he has buried. Number
151 was Jonathan Hurtado, 18 – fresh out of 6 Green’s death brought the gang war between
jail. Now the kindly, bearded Jesuit mourns him.
‘brown and black’ to public awareness. Next
“The day he got out I found him a job. He never
week a summit will be held called the Black and
missed a day. He was doing really well,” Boyle
Brown Strategy Meeting which aims to head off a
says.
race war. “All of the signs are there that a racial
war is going to explode in this city,” says Khalid
2 But Hurtado made a mistake: he went back to
Shah, director of Stop the Violence, one of the
his old neighbourhood. While sitting in a park,
groups organizing the meeting. “You are look-
Hurtado was approached by a man on a bike
ing at an event which could not only paralyze an
who said to him: “Hey, homie, what’s up?” He
entire city but an entire state,” he warns.
then shot Hurtado four times.
7 Green’s death sparked Villaraigosa’s crackdown.
3 Boyle’s Los Angeles is a world away from the The police took the unprecedented step of
glamorous Hollywood hills, Malibu beaches and
publishing a list of the 11 worst gangs, including
Sunset Strip – the celebrity-drenched city that
204th Street. They vowed to go after them with
David Beckham and Posh Spice will soon make
police, FBI agents and injunctions to prevent
their home.
members meeting. But Angelenos have seen it
all before. The city’s history is full of anti-gang
4 Boyle’s Los Angeles is where an estimated initiatives.
120,000 gang members across five counties
battle over turf, pride and drugs. It is a city of 8 Publishing the ‘hit list’ could backfire. In the gang
violence as a race war escalates between new
sub-culture, being on the list is a badge of pride.
Hispanic gangs and older black groups. Mayor
“Putting out a list was a bad idea. Groups that
Antonio Villaraigosa, who has referred to his city
don’t make the list will want to be on it. They
as “the gang capital of America”, has launched a
don’t exactly think rationally,” said Alex Alonso, a
crackdown on the new threat.
gang historian.

5 The latest front is the tiny strip of turf known

9 Yet there is hope. Alfonso ‘Chino’ Visuet, 23, was
as Harbor Gateway, a nest of streets between
sucked into the gang life as a teenager. There
malls and office blocks. It was here, just before
was the lure of excitement and riches, the push
Christmas, that Cheryl Green, a 14-year-old
of a difficult home life. “People who join a gang
black girl, died. As she stood on a corner talking
are always running away from something. They
with friends, two Hispanic members of the neigh-
flee to the gang,” Visuet says.
bourhood’s notorious 204th Street gang walked
up and opened fire, killing Green and wounding
10 Visuet now works for Father Boyle’s Homeboy
three others. Traditionally, the outside view of
Industries, a project that helps people leave gang
LA gangs has been of black youths but Hispanic
life. It provides jobs, an education, pays to have
gangs are now in the ascendant, spreading
gang tattoos removed and gives counselling. It
across America.
aims to remove the circumstances that lead to

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Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced
crime: poverty, abuse and unemployment. It is who beats on them. They have the same story,”
staffed almost entirely by former gang members he says.
and has spun off a bakery, a silk-screen printers
and a restaurant. 13 LA is a city of two worlds – Hollywood and gangs.
On a two-lane highway that roars through the
11 It worked for Visuet. He starts college this au- middle of Harbor Gateway, a few hundred yards
tumn and wants to be a probation officer. “I was from where Cheryl Green was gunned down,
on the edge of doing something that would ruin there is a billboard for a new TV show called
my life, either by doing violence or having it done Sons of Hollywood. It shows three rich young
to me. That’s over now,” he says. men against a backdrop of palm trees. It claims
to be a ‘reality’ show, but for most of the impover-
12 Visuet despairs at the conflict. “A brown gang ished, racially torn citizens it is nothing more than
member now just sees a black gang member. a fantasy.
What they don’t see is how that person comes
from the same place they do. They might have © Guardian News and Media 2007
a mother who is an alcoholic as well or a father First published in the Observer 18/03/07

3 Comprehension check

Read again and find the significance of the following names and numbers in the article.

1. Jonathan Hurtado _______________________________________________________________________

2. Father Greg Boyle _______________________________________________________________________

3. Antonio Villaraigosa _______________________________________________________________________

4. Harbor Gateway _______________________________________________________________________

5. Cheryl Green _______________________________________________________________________

6. 204th Street _______________________________________________________________________

7. 15.7% _______________________________________________________________________

8. Khalid Shah _______________________________________________________________________

9. 11 _______________________________________________________________________

10. Alex Alonso _______________________________________________________________________

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Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Ways of saying increase

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first. All the answers are in the text.

1. The city is more and more violent as a race war increases and becomes worse.
The city is more and more violent as a race war e___________.

2. The number of Hispanic gangs is increasing.

The number of Hispanic gangs is o___________ the a___________.

3. Gang-related crime increased a lot last year.

Gang-related crime l___________ last year.

4. Hate crimes against blacks increased rapidly.

Hate crimes against blacks s___________.

5. LA has an increasingly big Hispanic population.

LA has an r___________ g___________ Hispanic population.

5 Vocabulary 2: Hyphenated words A

Complete the sentences with a word from the box.

drenched lane profile related gang culture

1. Much of the crime is gang-___________.

2. Beverly Hills is a celebrity-___________ part of the city.

3. The police are taking anti-___________ measures to reduce the crime.

4. Many gangs have their own sub-___________.

5. The mayor is organizing a high-___________ summit to address the problem.

6. A fast two-___________ highway crosses the centre of town.

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Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced

6 Vocabulary 3: Hyphenated words B

Using the words from the exercise above, create new phrases for these definitions. The first one is done
for you.

sun-drenched
1. A place with a lot of sun.______________

2. A highway with five lanes. ______________

3. Connected to drugs. ______________

4. Below zero temperatures. ______________

5. Good quality and expensive, of a better class. ______________

7 Discussion

What could be the causes of gang-related crime in a city like LA? Are there gang problems in your city?

145
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

1 What are they called now?

Match the old African state and province names with their current names.

Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
French Sudan Mozambique
German Southwest Africa Ethiopia
Rhodesia Burkina Faso
Upper Volta Namibia
Portuguese East Africa Zimbabwe

2 Key words

Put the following key words into the sentences.

bureaucracy plummet delusion conspiracy whim

confiscate regime hyperinflation collapse independence

1. When something is in a state of _______________, it is breaking down and has almost stopped functioning.

2. A _______________ is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics.

3. A _______________ is a sudden feeling that you need to do something (usually unimportant).

4. When you get your _______________ you are no longer controlled by another person or country.

5. An idea or belief that is not true can be called a _______________. It is often the belief that you are better than
you really are.

6. When there is an incredibly high increase in prices this is called _______________.

7. _______________ is a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes.

8. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way is called a
_______________.

9. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it _______________.

10. When you _______________ something, you take it away for legal reasons or as a punishment.
D
TE DE
SI A

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British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

British Airways says goodbye 6 Yesterday, the last plane left behind another
to Zimbabwe government sinking deeper into the delusion that
everything is under its control. As the economy
Last BA flight from a grounded economy
shrinks amid hyperinflation and collapsing
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London production, Mr Mugabe has created a vast new
October 29, 2007 bureaucracy to oversee price controls on non-
existent goods in the shops.

1 The last flight out taxied from the sparkling new 7 His finance minister maintains an official
Harare airport, lifted over the city and dipped its exchange rate so out of proportion with the
wings in farewell. With that, British Airways said hidden market that the central bank governor has
goodbye to Zimbabwe. to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street.

2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr 8 The regime has said they have the best
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was agricultural season even though there is no
probably part of a British government conspiracy bread in the shops because the wheat harvest
to unseat the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, has fallen short by two-thirds and production
but that he was going to miss British Airways of tobacco, once Zimbabwe’s biggest money
anyway. “In these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe earner, has dropped to one-fifth of what it once
has developed a reputation for being unreliable,” was. Cigarettes are in such short supply that a
he said. marijuana joint is cheaper.

3 What he means is that Zimbabwe’s national 9 The government has even announced plans to
airline is in much the same state as the country, sell electricity to Namibia next year even though
with flights running days late due to lack of fuel or it doesn’t generate enough power to keep lights
maintenance, or diverted at Mr Mugabe’s whim to on at home.
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or to attend the
Pope’s funeral. 10 The reality is that a man living in a Harare
township lucky enough to have a job earns,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA on average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this the hidden-market rate. His transport to work
plane. I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the in Harare costs more than that but he has to
shops for weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it overspend if he wants to keep his job.
matters that this is the last flight, but it does. It’s
as if we’re finally being cut off from the rest of the 11 Other European airlines abandoned Zimbabwe
world. I think for us [whites] it felt like the escape as its economy collapsed but BA stayed because
route if we ever needed it”. historic ties with Britain meant there were still a
steady number of passengers.
5 It’s not the first time BA has been forced out of
Zimbabwe. Services were discontinued in 1965 12 But the airline says it has been defeated by
when Ian Smith declared independence for escalating costs, particularly the price of having
Rhodesia and promised that not in a thousand to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
years would a black man rule. BA was back 15 unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
years later when Mr Smith was defeated by the Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to
reality of economics as much as war; Rhodesia the pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever to the pound today.
rule Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power.

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13 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are 15 The younger Mr Msipa is a property developer
suspicious of the economic claims. He doesn’t who travels regularly to London. His job has
understand how BA isn’t making money. Mr kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
Msipa admits there is a crisis though, and that his away from him and his five children. “We have
dad might be part of the problem. a relative advantage. I can get things done ... I
have contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
14 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands get to London now is a problem. No one wants
province where he has overseen the confiscation to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
of white-owned farms and the collapse of luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
agriculture. Mr Msipa concedes this may have Air Zimbabwe.”
been a mistake. “Being an old nationalist, my
father believes that everything is about the land. © Guardian News & Media 2007
Whereas our generation says we should get into First published in The Guardian, 29/10/07
computers and call centres”.

3 Comprehension check

Complete the sentences with the correct endings.

1. British Airways have stopped flights from 5. The average worker from a township
Zimbabwe for... in Zimbabwe earns...

a. ... the first time in its history. a. ... approximately the cost of a plane
b. ... the rest of the year. ticket to London.
c. ... the second time in 75 years. b. ... less than the money he needs to spend
on transport to get to work.
2. White Zimbabweans see British Airways as their... c. ... £225 per year.

a. ... link to the rest of the world.

6. Tobacco production has fallen to...
b. ... link to South Africa.
c. ... only escape route out of Zimbabwe.
a. ... four-fifths of last year’s production.
b. ... two-thirds of last year’s production.
3. The first black man to rule Zimbabwe was...
c. ... one-fifth of last year’s production.
a. ... Ian Smith.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is....
b. ... Robert Mugabe.
c. ... Cephas Msipa.
a. ... agriculture.
b. ... computers.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... c. ... call centres.

a. ... more than 10years.

b. ... more than 15 years.
c. ... more than 25 years.

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4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns

Write the words underneath the correct stress patterns.

agriculture proportion independence conspiracy

plummeted reality bureaucracy reputation
government confiscation delusion Johannesburg
governor discontinued Zimbabwean nationalist

oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

Zimbabwe maintenance economy economic

5 Discussion

In Zimbabwe, a loaf of bread costs more than fifty times the price it was at the beginning of the year.
Compare this to inflation in your country.

In your country:
How much do dairy products (milk, butter, cheese) cost now?
How much did they cost one year ago / five years ago?
Make the same comparisons for other items such as bread, alcohol, cigarettes, petrol, houses etc.

6 Webquest

What is the current rate of exchange between the British pound and the Zimbabwean dollar?

Go to www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zi.html to read the latest updated facts and

figures about Zimbabwe.

Go to www.swradioafrica.com and click on the ‘listen live’ button to listen to the latest independent news
from Zimbabwe. The website also contains short news articles and podcasts.

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1 Pre-reading 1: Introduction

You are going to read an article about Genetic Modification. In Britain, recently, there has been a lot of
discussion about GM crops. These are plants grown for food, which scientists have changed so that they
are more productive, or can resist diseases or insects that destroy them. Before you read the article, think
about these questions.

1. In your country, is there a debate about GM crops?

A 2. What are the arguments in favour?

3. What are the arguments against?

4. Have you also heard of genetically modified animals or insects?

5. What reasons could scientists have for genetically modifying them?

B
6. What could be the dangers of interfering with natural processes in this way?

7. In what other ways can humans interfere with the balance of nature?

Now read the article quickly, to see if it mentions any of your ideas.

2 Pre-reading 2: Key words

Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below.

wary parasite gene side-effects predators prey

thrives immune defence fauna mutation

1. A system in the body that helps you to resist disease. _____________

2. The unpleasant additional results of taking a particular medicine. _____________

3. The animal life of a particular region. _____________

4. A plant or animal that lives on or in another, usually larger one, and feeds on it. _____________

5. Grows very well. _____________

6. A smaller animal that is used as food by a larger one. _____________

7. A change in the basic structure of a plant or animal. _____________

8. Very careful about possible dangers. _____________

9. Larger animals that attack and kill other animals for food. _____________
10. The basic unit of life that transmits characteristics from parent to child. _____________

Now scan the text quickly to see if your matches make sense.

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Shock of the new cannot defend themselves against their hunting
Scientists hope to release GM mosquitoes strategies. New species can also affect local
into the wild in an attempt to wipe out malaria. plants and animals by bringing in diseases they
They should be extremely wary, says James have not met before.
Randerson – introducing new species has often
proved disastrous. 6 “This is a particular problem for islands and
March 21, 2007 the southern hemisphere,” says Andre Farrar,
a spokesman for the Royal Society for the
1 It is a daring scientific project that could offer Protection of Birds. In the past, small oceanic
hope to 300 million malaria sufferers worldwide. islands in the southern hemisphere tended not
The plan is to genetically alter the mosquitoes in to have any land-based predators because
countries with malaria, so that the insects can no mammals simply couldn’t get there. This meant
longer carry the malaria parasite – and so can’t that many bird species nested on the ground.
transfer it to people. Without its taxi service, the So when European explorers introduced rats,
disease would rapidly die out. dogs, pigs and cats to the islands, the birds’ eggs
were easy pickings. When the brown tree snake
2 Although the release of genetically modified (native to Australia) was accidentally introduced
insects is not a new idea, it was given fresh to Guam in the western Pacific in the 1950s, for
importance this week by new work from a team example, it devastated local bird populations.
at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The
scientists there cannot yet prove what would 7 The cooking pots of Portuguese sailors are often
actually happen if GM mosquitoes were released blamed for the extinction of the dodo. But it was
into the wild. However, their lab studies suggest probably the animals they brought with them to
that insects carrying a gene that resists malaria Mauritius that really finished them off.
would not simply die out as soon as they
encountered normal mosquitoes – and might 8 There are many examples of disasters. In
even start to take over. Australia, rabbits were introduced and quickly
ran out of control, destroying native species.
3 Many human lives might be saved. But what Despite huge efforts to get rid of them, they are
consequences would result from releasing still a major pest. The coypu, a large rodent,
millions of GM-insects into the wild? Would the was introduced from South America into parts
gene they carry have unintended side-effects of North America and now cause damage to the
when the mosquito is in its natural habitat? Could environment in wetlands there. The aggressive
the gene jump into other species? Because large African honeybee was introduced to Brazil in the
scale releases of GM animals have never been 1950s and spread, displacing and interbreeding
carried out, these questions are hard to answer. with European honeybees that came to South
America with the first Europeans. It is much more
4 However, the long list of ecological disasters that aggressive than native species, attacking people
have followed both deliberate and accidental and animals. Meanwhile, water hyacinth was
releases of non-native species into new introduced to Africa and elsewhere from South
environments will make scientists – and non- America in the 19th century. It now clogs up
scientists – extremely wary. waterways, making them impassable.

5 “If new species get out of their ecosystem and 9 Even in this country, foreign invaders are a huge
are not kept under control by other processes, problem for conservationists. The worst one is
they start to cause trouble,” says Deborah Long Japanese knotweed, which thrives in gardens.
at Plantlife Scotland. New species may have no “Japanese knotweed causes massive problems
natural predators, or may encounter prey that for home owners,” says Dr Long. The weed can

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grow through walls and concrete, as well as smaller native partula snails. Since then, 72% of
taking over gardens. “It causes massive social the partula species have become extinct and only
and economic problems as well as conservation five remain.
problems.”
13 But there have been successes in eradication,
10 Another problem plant is rhododendron especially on the islands where introduced
ponticum, which is taking over the so-called species can cause most damage. “It is
‘Celtic rainforest’ woodlands of the west coast of expensive, it is time-consuming but is potentially
Scotland and Wales. These fairytale woodlands very effective,” says Farrar. The ground-nesting
are internationally important because of the kakapo parrot from New Zealand, for example,
special plants there, says Long. But to thrive, the has been given new life by transferring it to
plants require precise amounts of light and water, islands without rats and ferrets.
which are provided by the humid atmosphere of
the forest. The invading rhododendrons, which 14 So what are the lessons here for introducing
were introduced by Victorian gardeners, shade GM-mosquitoes? It can be argued that putting
out the native plants. a new mosquito with an extra gene into a place
where there are lots of mosquitoes already is not
11 The destructive cane toad of Australia is also the as bad as introducing an entirely new species
result of a failed attempt at biological control. The with hunting strategies, immune defences and
toad was brought in to control sugar-cane pests diseases that are entirely new to the local fauna.
in 1935. But it soon began preying on – and That change may not be very different from
out-competing – native species. It now occupies something that has happened countless times
much of the north east of Australia. Getting rid of in evolution – a random mutation to a gene that
the invasive species, as Australia’s rabbits and gives the mosquito resistance to a parasite.
cane toads have shown, often proves much more Finally, though, it will probably be what people
difficult than introducing it. Despite continuing think is a risk rather than the actual risks that
efforts to control the cane toads, their seemingly matters. GM-crops had no chance in Europe
unstoppable march continues. because of ‘what-if?’ fears: in the end, scientists’
opinions had no influence. If public opinion in
12 Perhaps the worst example of a disastrous African countries is strongly against the GM-
introduction is that of the snails of French mosquito, or if people feel that a technology
Polynesia. In 1975, the wolf snail was rejected by Europe is being forced onto them, it
deliberately introduced to stop the spread of the will never happen.
previously introduced giant African land snail. But
the predatory wolf mostly ignored its intended © Guardian News & Media 2007
prey and instead developed a taste for the First published in The Guardian, 21/3/07

Did the article mention any of your ideas?

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3 General understanding

Now read the text again, more carefully. Match the beginnings of these sentences about the text with
their endings.

1 The structure of the mosquitoes will be changed a cross over into other animals
2 Scientists do not know if the new mosquitoes b it has often led to trouble in the past
3 Perhaps the altered gene could even c having its own predators to keep numbers low
4 When other species have moved to new places d have been removed to new places of safety
5 The balance of nature depends on each species e so that they can’t infect humans with malaria
6 Plants and animals that are brought in to help, f no more dangerous than natural changes
7 Some native species in danger from new species g will multiply so much that other species die out
8 Some people think that artificial new species are h often cause more problems than they solve

4 Language development 1: Word formation

Complete the table below. All the missing forms are in the text.

verb noun adjective adverb

release - -
- disastrously
adapt adaptive adaptively
protect protective protectively
- accidental
- extinct -
introduce - -
invade invasively
effect effectively
resist resistant -

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5 Language development 2: Phrasal verbs

The following sentences all contain a phrasal verb taken from the text. See if you can remember what they
are, and understand the meaning from the context.

1. Scientists are hoping to w____ ____ diseases like cancer.

2. There is a danger that some species may d____ ____, and become extinct.

3. If one species gets too strong, they may t_____ _____ from another one.

4. Most experiments have to be c_______ ____ very carefully.

5. If a species g_____ ____ ____ its own environment, and enters another, it may destroy other species, or

be destroyed.

6. The tomatoes were not growing very well, and the terrible storm finally f________ them ____.

7. If a certain plant starts to grow in one part of a river, it soon c______ it ___ completely, and the water can’t

flow at all.

8. When the trees grow too close together, they s______ ____ the plants growing under them, as no sun can

reach the ground.

9. The government introduced a new tax system, but as soon as it was b_______ ___ , people began to protest.

10. A lot of animals get their food by p__________ ___ smaller animals.

6 Language development 3: Logical connectors

This text contains several connectors showing contrast. See if you can remember which of the following
were used in each of the sentences below.

despite though however although

1. __________ the release of genetically modified insects is not a new idea, it was given fresh importance

this week…

2. __________, the long list of ecological disasters … will make scientists … extremely wary.

3. __________ huge efforts to get rid of them, they are still a major pest.
4. Finally, _________, it will probably be what people think is a risk … that matters.

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Now scan the text quickly to check. Looking back at the examples, see if you can complete the rules below.

5. __________ is used to join two sentences; it is a conjunction.

6. __________ is used before a noun, pronoun or -ing form; it is a preposition.

7. __________ does not connect two sentences. It can come at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a

sentence. It is an adverb.

8. __________ usually comes in the middle or at the end of a sentence. It is separated from the rest of the

sentence by commas. It is an adverb, and is less formal than ___________.

And now see if you can use the appropriate word in each of these sentences.

9. It was raining. ___________, we played tennis.

10. __________ the rain, we played tennis.

11.__________ it was raining, we played tennis.

12. It was raining. My brother, ________, still played tennis.

7 Discussion

1. Do you think it is a good idea to introduce these genetically modified mosquitoes? Why / why not?

2. Do you think people from more developed countries should pass on their technology to people in less

developed countries?

3. Do you see this as a right or an obligation?

4. Are any species of animal or plant in danger of becoming extinct in your country?

5. How far do you think people should be concerned about individual species dying out, when there is so much

hunger and poverty in the world?

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Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin farewell
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

grieve momentous mourner lavish compassionate

coup rapport foe condolence magnanimous

1. ____________ is a relationship in which people like, understand and respect each other.

2. ____________ is another word for enemy; it is often used by journalists.

3. A ____________ is an occasion when a group of people take control of a country by military force.

4. If you are ____________, you are willing to forgive people or willing to be kind and fair.

5. If something is ____________, it is given in a very large amount.

6. A ____________ occasion is one that is very important because of its effect on future events.

7. If you are ____________, you are understanding and caring about someone who is in a bad situation.

8. If you express ____________, you show sympathy when someone has died.

9. A ____________ is someone who attends a funeral to pay their respects to the dead person.

10. When you ____________, you feel extremely sad because someone has died.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia before Vladimir Putin.

2. Yeltsin was president when the Soviet Union collapsed.

3. Yeltsin was popular with all Russians.

4. Yeltsin was president for 10 years.

5. Yeltsin was buried in St Petersburg.

6. George W. Bush attended the funeral.

OCPIABLEHT

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Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin farewell
Level 3 Advanced
Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin have proceeded across Red Square. Yesterday’s
farewell low-key ceremony took place in the cathedral
Putin, Clinton and Major among mourners at of Christ the Saviour – a vast gold-domed
Orthodox ceremony. church not far from the Kremlin. It was blown
up by Stalin in 1931 but rebuilt during Yeltsin’s
Luke Harding in Moscow
presidency as a symbol of national revival.
April 26, 2007
5 Hundreds of mourners had queued round the
block to pay their respects to Yeltsin, who had
1 Surrounded by white-robed Orthodox bishops,
lain in state for two days. His open coffin was
his grieving family, Vladimir Putin and his
draped in a Russian tricolour. Mourners went
successor, Boris Nikolayevich, Yeltsin was
past in solemn file, laying carnations and red
buried yesterday in the tranquil surroundings
roses. “He was a muzhik – a strong man,”
of Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery. It was
Dmitry Samarin, who spent 16 years as Yeltsin’s
perhaps appropriate that the man who once
bodyguard, told the Guardian outside the church.
promised Russians an economic miracle – but
Was he a good leader, though? “History is a very
spectacularly failed to deliver it – was laid to rest
difficult thing,” he replied carefully. “He managed
next door to Igor Kio, Russia’s most celebrated
to defeat the communist leadership. I doubt
illusionist. His neighbour on the other side is
anybody else could have done it.”
Yevgeny Urbansky, an actor.
6 Arytom Leonidovich, a 26-year-old architect, said
2 Before Yeltsin’s coffin was covered and lowered it was a complicated question. “I think in time
into the ground, his widow, Naina, came forward
history will record that he did more positive than
to say farewell. She smoothed back his grey
negative things. The fall of the communist regime
hair and kissed him fondly several times on
was largely down to him. “He also had many
the lips and cheeks. Russia’s national anthem
human qualities. He was compassionate, unlike
sounded and Yeltsin sank into his final resting
the leadership we’ve got now.”
place. Looking on were several ex-world leaders,
including Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr. Also 7 State television yesterday paid lavish tribute.
there were Sir John Major, the Duke of York and Flags were flown at half-mast. But many ordinary
the Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. Russians clearly still regard Yeltsin’s seven and
a half years as president as a disaster. There
3 During his lifetime Yeltsin, who died on Monday
were few mourners along the funeral route. The
of heart failure at the age of 76, presided over a
country has been split over its assessment of his
series of momentous changes – the end of the
legacy. Some praise him for bringing freedom
cold war, the collapse of the Soviet empire and
and helping defeat a coup attempt by former
a period of chaos and liberty. Yesterday’s state
Soviet hardliners; others blame him for handing
funeral marked another departure: a conscious
over state assets to oligarchs and damaging the
return to Russia’s old pre-revolutionary traditions.
country’s name with his drunken behaviour.
It was the first time since 1894 and the death of
Tsar Alexander III that Russia’s Orthodox church 8 Yesterday’s TV coverage made little mention
had sanctioned a ceremony for a Russian head of his disastrous decision to go to war against
of state. Chechen rebels in 1994. Instead it concentrated
on the good bits – Yeltsin’s friendly rapport with
4 Since Soviet times, and Lenin’s memorably
ordinary Russians and his obvious devotion
freezing funeral in January 1924, all Russian
towards his children and grandchildren.
leaders with the exception of Khrushchev have
Communist MPs, however, refused to stand
been buried near the Kremlin Wall and mourners
for a moment of silence in Yeltsin’s memory in
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parliament yesterday. “We will never give honour 10 At the service, bearded priests swung incense
to the destroyer of the fatherland,” communist and sang passages from the gospels. They
MP Viktor Ilyukhin said. prayed for Yeltsin’s sins. Metropolitan Yuvenaly,
the second most senior cleric in the Orthodox
9 Other old foes were more magnanimous. In a
church, told mourners Yeltsin had given people
moment of reconciliation, former Soviet leader the freedom they sought. Russia’s first president
Mikhail Gorbachev – a longstanding rival left should be remembered for this, he said. “Russia
without a job when Yeltsin dismantled the today lives a full life and is returning to its historic
Soviet Union – kissed his widow and whispered traditions. Witness to that is the fact that for the
words of condolence. Sir John Major and Mr first time in 100 years we are bidding farewell
Clinton gave her a hug. Mr Putin and his wife, to a Russian head of state in a church with
Ludmilla, stood solemnly nearby. Every member prayers.”
of Russia’s cabinet was there, including Sergei
Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev, the two men © Guardian News & Media 2007
likely to contest next year’s presidential election. First published in The Guardian, 26/4/07
Also there was Roman Abramovich, an oligarch
whose billion-dollar fortune was accumulated
during Yeltsin’s rule.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How do many ordinary Russians feel about Yeltsin’s presidency?

a. They regard it as extremely successful.
b. They regard it as a disaster.
c. They have no opinion about it.

2. Why was Yeltsin’s funeral historically significant?

a. Because it was the first time in 100 years that a Russian head of state had been buried in a church.
b. Because all Russian leaders were buried near the Kremlin Wall.
c. Because the church was rebuilt during Yeltsin’s presidency.

3. Why do some Russians praise Yeltsin?

a. Because he brought freedom and helped to defeat the hardliners’ coup attempt.
b. Because he was devoted to his children and grandchildren.
c. Because he had a friendly rapport with ordinary Russians.

4. Why did Communist MPs refuse to stand in his memory?

a. Because Yeltsin wasn’t a communist.
b. Because his decision to go to war in Chechnya was a disaster.
c. Because they believe he destroyed Russia.
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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words and expressions.

1. An adjective meaning peaceful. (Para 1)

2. An adjective meaning famous. (Para 1)

3. A verb meaning to give permission. (Para 3)

4. A four-word expression meaning except. (Para 4)

5. A three-word expression meaning mainly due to. (Para 6)

6. A noun meaning something that someone has achieved that continues to exist after they die. (Para 7)

7. A noun meaning an extremely rich and powerful person. (Para 7)

8. A verb meaning to end a political or economic system. (Para 9)

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the correct words in the right-hand column.

1. lay a. respects

2. pay b. to war

3. take c. farewell

4. lie d. an election
5. go e. a fortune

6. contest f. in state

7. bid g. to rest

8. accumulate h. place
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6 Vocabulary 3: Adjective + noun collocations

Fill the gaps using these adjectives.

tranquil economic national heart

human complicated historic low-key

1. ____________ failure

2. ____________ ceremony

3. ____________ question

4. ____________ surroundings

5. ____________ anthem

6. ____________ miracle

7. ____________ traditions

8. ____________ qualities

7 Discussion

What problems do countries like Russia experience when they move suddenly from a state-controlled economy
to a free-market economy? Do you think Yeltsin will be remembered as someone who was good for Russia or
someone who was bad for Russia?
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Fearful rich keep poor at bay in Buenos Aires
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

idyllic catch posh shanty vagrant

meltdown well-heeled exodus lax surge

1. If someone is ____________, they are rich.

2. A ____________ area is one that is expensive and attractive.

3. An ____________ place is one that is extremely beautiful and peaceful.

4. A ____________ town is an area where very poor people live in badly built houses made of wood, metal and

other thin material.

5. An ____________ is a situation in which a lot of people leave a place at the same time.

6. ____________ is the opposite of strict.

7. A ____________ is someone with no home who begs for money.

8. If there is a ____________ in something, there is a hidden problem or difficulty in something that seems ex-

tremely good.

9. A ____________ is a rapid and large-scale increase.

10. Economic ____________ is the sudden and complete failure of an economy.

2 What do you know?

Do you think these statements are True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. Just over 5 years ago Argentina experienced economic meltdown.

2. Hugo Chavez is president of Argentina.

3. It is more expensive to live in an exclusive suburb than to live in the centre of Buenos Aires.

4. Europeans and North Americans are not interested in buying property in central Buenos Aires.

5. The economy of Argentina has made a strong recovery.

6. Argentina owes a lot of money to the International Monetary Fund.

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Fearful rich keep poor at bay flight into gated communities has also been a
Uneven economic recovery is polarizing society, feature of post-apartheid South Africa, with the
and Buenos Aires’ well-off are seeking peace middle classes seeking refuge from crime in what
outside the city. critics dub the “architecture of fear”. The fact that
this is now happening in Argentina is causing
Rory Carroll in Buenos Aires
anguished debate about whether the country’s
April 25, 2007
society, once considered South America’s most
“European” and egalitarian, is also becoming
1 The scenes are idyllic. Children cycle care-free polarized along the lines of South Africa and
through landscaped neighbourhoods. Parents Brazil.
clink glasses of malbec and polo players saddle
4 Despite the recovery, a shanty town of
up for practice sessions. During the week,
corrugated tin and wood around Buenos Aires is
workers resume building plush houses with
a reminder that 40% of people are still in poverty.
gardens and swimming pools. Touring these
Vagrants sleep in doorways next to tourist areas
estates, which are outside Buenos Aires, it
and ragged children beg at traffic lights. These
is difficult to imagine that just five years ago
sights are hidden to many of those in the gated
Argentina was on its knees, a country with an
communities, says Celina Murga, 34, a film
economic crisis that made millions jobless,
director. “The children growing up in these places
shattered the middle class and turned one of
are very different from others, they don’t know
South America’s safest capitals into a hunting
how to behave in the real world.” She is making
ground for muggers and kidnappers. Yet today
a film, A Week Alone, about youths in a gated
if you visit any number of neighbourhoods you
community who are left unsupervised. “I want to
find new cars parked in driveways and architects
show that this is a social crisis,” says Ms Murga.
designing home extensions. Argentina’s recovery
Those outside the fences joke that the children
has been remarkable.
inside think golf carts are mankind’s main mode
2 But there is a catch. These scenes take place of transport and have no idea what traffic lights
in “barrios cerrados”, gated communities are for.
surrounded by walls, razor wire and uniformed
5 Initially, the economic meltdown in December
guards carrying handguns, assault rifles and
2001 united the middle class and the poor in
walkie-talkies. The country has bounced back but
rage against the government and financial
it is different. More than 400 new neighbourhoods
institutions, which were blamed for the collapse
have mushroomed on what were swamps and
of businesses and wiping out savings. That
cornfields outside Buenos Aires, hosting some
changed when armed gangs focused on people
300,000 people and covering more land than the
in well-heeled districts, such as Belgrano and
city they left behind. The posher areas are called
Palermo, creating a perception that crime was
“countries”, an apt term since outsiders need ID
out of control. The kidnap and murder of a young
and authorisation to cross perimeters that look
man, Axel Blumberg, prompted hundreds of
and feel like borders.
thousands to protest. As the economy began to
3 “You can’t see the poor here, that’s part of the recover from 2003, the stream of people moving
appeal,” says Ramiro Figueroa, 30, a polo to gated communities turned into a torrent. The
player and estate agent who lives in Tortugas, a high walls of developments now line the 10-lane
one square mile oasis an hour’s drive from the motorways out of Buenos Aires.
capital. “I love it here. Everything is secure. I
6 “If it is a bit off the highway and they have to
leave my windows open at night. The worst that
drive through a poor neighbourhood to reach
can happen is maybe a bicycle’s stolen.” The
home, people do not buy them. They are afraid

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of kidnapping,” says Peter Haller, a property a complex 16 miles north of the city, and her
consultant. An incentive to move to gated areas social life has never been better. Her parents and
is the prestige, since they are seen as a symbol siblings live nearby, as do half her friends, and
of success, he said. “It takes you to another every weekend there’s a barbecue or party. “For
social level.” The original “countries” were £40,000 my choice was 40 square metres in the
founded 70 years ago as weekend retreats for city – or 160 here. With a garden, a swimming
the polo set and the sense of exclusiveness pool and a hammock. You don’t think twice. It’s
endures. like a dream ... I won’t go away from here unless
I’m dead.”
7 Ironically, foreigners are now snapping up
apartments in central Buenos Aires, believing the © Guardian News & Media 2007
city to be a good investment and good place to First published in The Guardian, 25/4/07
live, says Mr Haller. About a third of city centre
properties are bought by Europeans and North
Americans. The middle-class exodus shows
no sign of slowing and lax planning laws mean
it is easy to develop new sites. Newspapers
publish weekly supplements for gated community
residents and businesses are following their
workers and customers.

8 The surge in spending reflects a dramatic

turnaround from the dark days of 2002 when
Argentina plunged into an economic abyss. A
devaluation of the peso and renegotiation of the
country’s international debt payments caused
widespread hardship but did help stop the
freefall. A surge in commodity prices, especially
of soya, prompted an export-led recovery.

9 Argentina’s president, Néstor Kirchner, with

financial help from Venezuela’s president, Hugo
Chávez, has paid off the International Monetary
Fund, boosting the government’s popularity
and the sense that the nation has recovered
its independence. Yet the mood of confidence
has not stopped banks, supermarkets and
restaurants leaving the city in the same way that
South African firms quit central Johannesburg for
Sandton in the northern suburbs 10 years ago.

10 Many residents deny that they are cut off. Fear

of crime and traffic in central Buenos Aires had
obliged parents to accompany children whenever
they left their apartments, so they were the ones
inhabiting bubbles, not those in the gated areas,
says Connie Burgwardt, a 40-year-old lawyer.
She moved two years ago to Santa Barbara,

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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why, in the author’s view, is Argentina becoming like South Africa or Brazil?
a. Because 40% of the people live in poverty.
b. Because Argentine society is becoming polarized.
c. Because restaurants are moving to the suburbs.

2. What has been the effect of the government paying off the country’s debts?
a. People are happier because they feel the country has recovered its independence.
b. The government has become less popular.
c. More people have moved to the countryside.

3. What is the catch referred to in the text?

a. The posh areas are called “countries”.
b. The posh areas have to be protected by walls, razor wire and guards.
c. Bicycles are often stolen.

4. What is the main problem for children growing up in the gated communities?
a. They have no idea what traffic lights are for.
b. They think golf carts are mankind’s main method of transport.
c. They don’t know how to behave in the real world.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words.

1. An adjective meaning expensive, comfortable and attractive. (Para 1)

2. A verb meaning to break suddenly into small pieces. (Para 1)

3. A two-word verb meaning to rise again after falling. (Para 2)

4. A verb meaning to increase or develop very quickly. (Para 2)

5. An adjective meaning very suitable. (Para 2)

6. A noun meaning a fast and powerful flow. (Para 5)

7. A two-word verb meaning to buy something as soon as you see it. (Para 7)
8. A noun meaning a large deep hole that appears to have no bottom. (Para 8)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Words and expressions

Match these words and expressions from the text with the definitions.

1. on its knees a. in a similar way to

2. anguished debate b. a formal gesture before drinking

3. along the lines of c. to destroy completely

4. freefall d. a sudden change of fortune

5. clink glasses e. extremely weak after a difficult period

6. a dramatic turnaround f. somewhere you go to take a short break

7. wipe out g. an uncontrolled loss of value

8. weekend retreat h. a very emotional discussion

6 Vocabulary 3: Noun suffixes

Add suffixes to these words to form new words (nouns). Check your answers in the text.

1. neighbour_______

2. kidnap_______

3. architect_______

4. recover_______

5. develop_______

6. exclusive_______

7. hard_______

8. popular_______

7 Discussion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in closed, guarded communities like those described in the
article? Would you like to live in such a place? Why? Why not?

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Online fraudster
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director of 192.com, which sponsors Prove-ID, a 15 How to avoid scams
private industrial forum on dealing with fraud. “It’s
a hard process to go through.” • Never give personal details over the phone.
Banks should never ask for pin numbers
13 Instead, companies are opting for tougher or codes.
security procedures and programmes to educate
the public about safe Internet use. • Only shop on secure websites that display
a padlock or key symbol in your browser. The
14 But experienced fraudsters like Tee say that it address should start https instead of http.
is still too easy. Even chip and pin, which has
drastically cut physical fraud levels, can prove • Only open email attachments if you are entirely
beneficial to the seasoned criminal. “I thought sure it is necessary.
chip and pin was brilliant - now cashiers think • Be wary of suspicious-looking email. Some
they’ve got no right to look at your card. If I viruses use the name of somebody you trust as
wanted to, I could pretend to be anyone, because a disguise.
nobody will ever check. It’s a new opportunity
for them.” © Guardian News & Media 2007
First published in The Guardian, 3/5/07

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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why did Tee become a criminal?

2. Was Tee ever caught?

3. What three methods did Tee use to get people’s personal information, according to the article?

4. According to criminologists, why do people commit online crime?

5. How are companies fighting online fraud?

6. Why does Tee think chip and pin is good for criminals?

4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context

Read the article again and choose the best definition for each of these words.

1. (para 4) If someone is flippant they are being a) serious. b) not serious.

2. (para 5) If you net something you a) catch it. b) lose it.

3. (para 5) Scant details means a) many details. b) few details.

4. (para 8) Callous means a) kind. b) cruel

5. (para 13) To opt for something means to a) choose it. b) reject it

6. (para 15) If you are wary of something you a) trust it. b) don’t trust it

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5 Vocabulary 2: Word formation

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in CAPITALS.

1. SIZE Tee built up a ____________ debt while at University.

2. CONSPIRE Tee went to prison for ____________ to defraud.

3. SECURITY Tee could find people’s details on ____________ websites.

4. INTERVIEW Martin Gill studied online crime and Tee was one of his ____________ .

5. BELIEVE Criminals hold the ____________ that they will not be caught.

6. BENEFIT Tee says that chip and pin methods are ____________ to criminals.

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Make collocations with the words from A and the words from B.

A B
to rack up crimes

a fast-growing criminals

a spending debts

to commit details

seasoned field

to serve a prison sentence

security procedures

bank spree

7 Discussion
Do you feel secure when shopping or giving out your personal details online? What security precautions do you
take when using the Internet?

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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these key words from the text with the definitions below.

aggravate exhaust fumes apparent smug

exacerbate pollutant buggy kerb

1. A substance that is harmful to the environment.

2. Easy to see or understand.

3. The edge of the pavement.

4. The gas or steam produced by an engine.

5. To make something bad become worse (2 words).

6. Someone who is too satisfied with their own abilities or achievements.

7. A light chair with wheels for pushing children in.

2 What do you know?

What is good advice to avoid breathing pollution in a big city? Put a tick next to the sentences below if you
think the advice is good.

1. Walk on side streets and avoid main roads.

2. Stand close to the kerb when waiting for traffic lights to change.

3. Cross the road as quickly as possible.

4. Don’t go outside in the middle of the day in summer.

5. Wear a mask and clean it regularly.

6. Don’t push a child in a buggy close to traffic.

7. Don’t go jogging early in the morning.

8. Sit on the driver’s side of a bus.

9. Don’t allow lots of air into your home.

10. Don’t drive a car.

Now read the article and check your answers.

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Breathing lessons
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Breathing lessons streets and thoroughfares, instead choosing
side streets and parks. Carefully choosing your
Leo Hickman
route has a “dramatic” effect, he says, because
April 4, 2007
pollution levels can fall by a factor of 10 just by
moving a few metres away from the main source
1 Take a deep breath. If you live in an urban of the pollution - exhaust fumes. “Just being one
environment - which four out of five of us block away makes a massive difference as the
now do - then you are exposing yourself to a high pollution levels are generally restricted to
cocktail of airborne pollutants that could be fairly small areas within a city,” he says. Also, try
seriously damaging your health. According to to avoid walking down “street canyons” (where
a study published this week, if you live in a tall buildings hug tightly to the sides of streets,
“major city” then the air pollution you suck into creating valleys in which pollutants build up)
your lungs each day could be shortening your _______(2)______.
life expectancy even more than the radiation
exposure suffered by survivors of the Chernobyl 5 Pavement sense
disaster in 1986.
When you’re crossing a road, stand well back
2 The idea that city air is bad for you is hardly from the kerb while you wait for the lights to
new, but it is an area scientists are only just change or for a gap in the traffic. ____(3)____.
beginning to get a real grip on. Last month the As the traffic moves off from a standstill, the
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, fumes can dissipate in just a few seconds,
an independent body set up in 1970 to advise particularly if the wind is up, which means holding
the government, confirmed what many of us your breath during this momentary period can
instinctively knew: that urban living should carry make a difference, silly as that might sound. Also,
a large health warning. In a major report entitled cross the road as quickly as possible. And once
The Urban Environment, it detailed what impact you’re over, continue along the pavement as far
urban air pollution is having on our health. away from the kerb as possible.
The headline conclusion was that air pollution
reduces “life expectancy in the UK by an average 6 Avoid pollution spikes
of eight months”.
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution
3 Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation during times of high traffic congestion – i.e., the
reports that transport-related air pollution morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Pollution
- which now causes the vast majority of levels generally fall during the night-time. ____
urban air pollution - causes a wide range of (4)_____. Pollution levels tend to be at their
health problems including “cancer, adverse lowest during the spring and autumn when winds
pregnancy and birth outcomes, and lowering are at their “freshest”; the trapping effect of
of male fertility”. But other than moving to extreme cold and hot spells tend to exacerbate
the countryside, what practical steps can city the build-up of pollutants.
dwellers take to reduce their exposure to urban
air pollution? ________(1)_________. 7 Venturing outside when there is less pollution
obviously makes sense, but of course that’s
not always realistic. In fact, the hottest part of
4 Watch where you walk
a summer’s day - the time when most office
One of the best ways to reduce your exposure workers go outside during their lunchbreak - is
to air pollution, says Dr Roy Colvile, a senior a particularly bad time to head out, according
lecturer in air-quality management at Imperial to Noel Nelson, one of the authors of the
College London, is to avoid walking along busy Royal Commission report. Walking in the rain,

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Level 3 Advanced

conversely, is a good way of avoiding the with sitting on the side nearest to the pavement.
worse excesses of air pollution, he adds, as the He says it’s difficult to say whether travelling on
rain “cleans” the air both by washing out the an undergound train, if you have that option, is
pollutants and bringing with it fresher air. better or worse than taking the bus, but he does
say that the air pollution on underground trains
8 Wear a mask tends to be less toxic by weight than that found
at street level.
Masks can be a good thing, but they only make
a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned 12 Protect yourself indoors too
regularly. ____ (5) ____ Worse, if you fail to
clean or change the mask regularly, there is a We spend about 90% of our time indoors, on
danger of allowing oily organic compounds to average, and two-thirds of that time is spent at
build up on the filter. Build-up can make the air home. And indoor pollution can actually be more
you breathe dirtier rather than cleaner. of an issue than that found outdoors, it seems.
Studies by the US Environmental Protection
9 Pushchairs Agency (EPA) suggests that pollution levels
can be two to five times higher indoors than out
According to the Royal Commission report, - and this can rapidly rise depending on what
several recent studies indicate that “children activity you are doing at home. Centrally-heated,
living close to busy roads have an approximate carpeted, airtight homes only act to aggravate
50% increased risk of experiencing respiratory the situation.
illness, including asthma”. Children are smaller
than adults and therefore much closer to the 13 Ventilating your home is therefore an important
source of pollution when walking beside roads. step to take in reducing risk - hopefully with air
They also have a faster metabolic rate and that’s not full of air pollutants from the outside
breathe more rapidly, and tend to inhale more - as is using a good doormat to help prevent
pollution, proportionate to their size, than adults. outdoor pollutants from the pavement being
One small step that can be taken is not to push walked into your home.
them along in a buggy too close to traffic.
14 Feeling smug about the fact that you live high
up in a flat away from outside air pollution? ____
10 Beware of exercising in traffic
(7) ____ A study by Hong Kong’s City University
Cycling or jogging disproportionately expose you used laser measurements to show that pollution
to air pollution - you inhale three times as much levels in the city remain constant up to heights
as if you were walking, according to Colvile - for of 700m. Living in the suburbs, away from major
the simple reason that your lungs are gasping for roads, seems the best way to avoid the worse
more air than the people you’re speeding past on excesses of urban air pollution. But that then
the pavement. The best times of day to exercise, means you are statistically far more likely to be
thus avoiding the worst excesses of air pollution, a car owner and are therefore only exacerbating
are early morning or in the evening. Alternatively, the situation.
exercise indoors or in a park. ____ (6) ____.
15 Don’t drive
11 Where to sit on the bus
The best thing you can do, both for yourself
Intriguingly, Colvile says that his own research and for your fellow citizens, is to get out of the
shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus car. ____ (8) ____: diesel may produce less
can increase your exposure by 10% compared carbon dioxide compared with petrol, which

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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
is good news in terms of climate change, but 16 Get out of town
it produces more ground-level pollutants. A
particle of pollution today tends to be 100 times As long as you go by public transport so as not to
smaller than a particle of coal soot and therefore create yet more pollution, lifting yourself up and
it can pass into the blood stream via the lungs out of the urban jungle offers at least a temporary
as opposed to being caught in the bronchial escape.
passage. The full health implications of this © Guardian News & Media 2007
shift in pollution type have yet to become fully First published in The Guardian, 4/4/07
apparent.

3 Comprehension check
Read the article again. There are some sentences missing. Put the sentences below back in the correct
places in the text. Write the number of where they should appear.

___ and don’t walk behind smokers.

___ Cyclists should stick to side-roads where possible.
___ Even the slightest gap to allow you to breathe more easily will cancel out any benefits.
___ Every metre really does count when you are in close proximity to traffic, according to Colvile.
___ Fuel choice is also important.
___ Quite a lot, it turns out.
___ The time of year can also make a big difference.
___ Well, unless you live in a penthouse at the top of a very tall skyscraper, then height doesn’t seem
to offer significant sanctuary.

4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation - adverbs

Insert the adverb form of the word into the correct place in the sentence.

1. Pollution in cities now could be damaging your health. SERIOUS

2. The evidence about urban pollution is new. HARD

3. Many people know that standing in traffic is bad for your health. INSTINCTIVE

4. Very high pollution levels are found in small areas within a city. FAIR

5. Pollution levels fall during the night-time. GENERAL

6. Lunchtime is a bad time to go out into the streets. PARTICULAR

7. Masks are best if they fit and are cleaned. TIGHT / REGULAR

8. Children have a faster metabolic rate and breathe more than adults do. MORE RAPID

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5 Vocabulary 2: Adverbs - adverbs that modify a sentence

Look at this example from the text:

Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution during times of high traffic congestion.

The word in bold modifies the whole sentence and means “it is predictable”.

Rewrite the following sentences, beginning with an adverb that replaces the expression in bold.

1. It’s intriguing that research shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus exposes you to more
pollution.

2. Some fires are good for the forest, which is odd.

3. In my personal opinion, I think that these forms are a waste of time.

4. The email was sent by a person she went to school with more than twenty years ago, which
was curious.

5. The director and actors hope the movie will be a huge success, it’s obvious.

6. Some of the worst traffic accidents, we hope, will be avoided with the introduction of the new system.

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
Complete the sentences with a suitable word. All the collocations are in the text.

1. Sit down and _______ a deep breath. The ambulance will be here soon.
2. Women have a longer life _______ than men in many countries.

3. To alert the population of the dangers of smoking, the government issued a new health _______ on packets
of cigarettes.

4. The doctor informed the patient of a high level of vitamin C in her blood _______.

5. The vast _______ of people in this part of the country live in cities.

6. Cyclists can get very sick from breathing the exhaust _______ from traffic.

7 Discussion
Do you live in a polluted urban environment? What do you do to avoid becoming ill?

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Blair to stand down on June 27
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text

tribute failings legacy unrelenting zeal

thump steadfast motion putsch saga

1. A ____________ person is one who doesn’t change their opinions or actions because they have a strong

belief in something.

2. ____________ pressure or criticism continues without stopping and is difficult to deal with.

3. If a person has ____________, they have weak points that make them less effective.

4. A ____________ is a formal proposal that people discuss and then vote on in a meeting or debate.

5. If you pay ____________ to someone, you praise them publicly.

6. A ____________ is an attempt made by a group of people to get rid of a government or a leader.

7. ____________ is great energy, effort and enthusiasm.

8. If you ____________ something you hit it very hard with your fist.

9. A ____________ is a long series of events, or a description of them.

10. A person’s ____________ is something that they have achieved that will continue to exist after they stop
working or die.

2 What do you know?

Do you think these statements are True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. Tony Blair has been prime minister of the UK for 10 years.

2. Blair became UK prime minister in 1996.

3. Blair’s likely successor is Gordon Brown.

4. Blair is 64 years old.

5. Blair was the first Labour leader to win three successive elections.

6. Blair will hand over to the next prime minister in 2 years’ time.

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Blair to stand down on June 27 6 table in appreciation, according to Mr Blair’s
official spokesman. While Mr Blair flew to the
Matthew Tempest
north-east, the likely next prime minister was in
May 10, 2007
the Commons, answering questions about the
economy. “There are, of course, 600,000 job
1 Tony Blair today announced he was stepping vacancies in the economy – there’s one more
down after 10 years as prime minister and 13 as today actually as a result of announcements that
Labour leader. The prime minister told a crowd of have just been made,” Gordon Brown joked to
supporters he would stand down as PM on June laughter from all sides.
27. He will tender his resignation to the Queen
7 Tributes have already started flowing in to the
on that day. In an emotional speech, he said the
departing 54-year old prime minister, whose
judgment on his 10-year administration was “for
future plans are not yet clear. Former US
you, the people, to make”. Mr Blair paid special
secretary of state Colin Powell said Mr Blair had
tribute to his wife and children “who never let me
“an enormous impact on world politics, and he
forget my failings”. But he concluded: “Hand on
certainly has had an enormous impact on the
heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have
special relationship between the United States
been wrong - that’s your call. But I did what I
and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has
thought was right for our country. This country is
been steadfast in the face of negative public
a blessed country. The British are special. The
opinion, and in the face of crises he’s stood
world knows it, we know it, this is the greatest
steady. And we could always count on him.”
country on earth.”
8 Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop the War
2 He dealt directly with Iraq, many people’s
coalition, said: “We cannot let this day pass
perception as his ultimate legacy, saying: “The
without marking the deadly legacy of Tony Blair
criticism since ... has been fierce, unrelenting and
with the war in Iraq, but this is about the future
costly.” But he insisted: “The terrorists will never
as well.”
give up if we give up.”
9 Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats demanded
3 Mr Blair admitted that in May 1997, when
an immediate general election to legitimize Mr
Labour took over after 18 years of Tory rule,
Blair’s successor. The party leader, Sir Menzies
“expectations were too high.” But he added:
Campbell, has tabled a Commons motion calling
“I would not want it any other way. I was, and
on the Queen to dissolve parliament immediately,
remain, an optimist.” Pointing to Africa, climate
since Mr Blair promised to serve a “full third term”
change and globalization, he declared Britain had
in 2005. Mr Brown, facing a financially straitened
changed under his 10-year leadership, saying:
Labour party and poor opinion polls, is highly
“Britain is not a follower, Britain is a leader.” He
unlikely to grant that request.
made no reference as to whether he would stay
on as an MP. 10 Mr Blair was unique among Labour leaders in
winning three successive elections. Although
4 Mr Blair acknowledged he had been accused
announcing before the 2005 contest he would
of “messianic zeal”, but said as prime minister,
serve a “full third term”, a mini-putsch by Labour
over issues such as Sierra Leone, Kosovo and
MPs last autumn forced him to confirm he would
then Afghanistan and Iraq, you were “alone with
stand down within a year. The final act of that
your instinct”.
saga was enacted today.
5 Earlier, the PM had confirmed to the cabinet he
would announce his plans to step down, joking
it was “not quite a normal day”. The meeting © Guardian News & Media 2007
ended with the entire cabinet “thumping” the First published in The Guardian, 10/5/07

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Blair to stand down on June 27
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How did Blair describe his actions while he was prime minister?
a. He did what his heart told him to do.
b. He did what his head told him to do.
c. He did what he thought was best for the country.

2. How did former US secretary of state Colin Powell describe Blair?

a. As a defender of the special relationship between the US and Britain.
b. As a loyal friend of the US.
c. As a negative factor in public opinion.

3. Why have the Liberal Democrats demanded an immediate general election?

a. Because they think they can win an election at this time.
b. Because Blair promised to serve a full third term.
c. Because they want the Queen to dissolve Parliament.

4. People have accused Blair of “messianic zeal”. What does this mean?
a. He was over-enthusiastic in his attempts to change society.
b. He made a lot of serious errors.
c. He worked so hard that he rarely had enough sleep and sometimes lacked energy.

4 Vocabulary 1: Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs with their definitions.

1. step/stand down a. to begin to do something someone else was doing

2. give up b. to leave a job or position, especially an important one

3. take over c. to take action to do something

4. stay on d. to rely on

5. deal with e. to remain in a job longer than you intended to

6. count on f. to stop doing something you are trying hard to do

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5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words.

1. An adjective meaning protected by God. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning involving a lot of force or energy. (para 2)

3. An adjective meaning final. (para 2)

4. A noun meaning a group of advisers chosen by the leader of a government. (para 5)

5. A noun meaning effect or influence. (para 7)

6. A noun meaning someone who organizes the meetings of a committee. (para 8)

7. A verb meaning to make something legal. (para 9)

8. A two-word expression meaning having financial problems. (para 9)

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Match the words in the left-hand column with the words they go with in the right-hand column.

1. grant a. one’s resignation

2. tender b. parliament

3. table c. criticism

4. high d. change

5. fierce e. opinion

6. climate f. a request

7. public g. expectations

8. dissolve h. a motion

7 Discussion

What do you think of politicians? Can they really change society for the better or are they in politics for selfish
reasons?

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Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

flannel kettle stuck on cuppa mug

foil rinse mistaken detergent biodegradable

1. If you are ____________ something, you are attracted by it.

2. A ____________ is a cup with straight sides and no saucer.

3. ____________ is a liquid or powder used for washing clothes or dishes.

4. A ____________ is a container used for boiling water.

5. If something is ____________, it can be broken into very small parts by bacteria and will not

damage the environment.

6. If you are ____________, you are wrong about something.

7. A ____________ is a small piece of cloth used for washing yourself.

8. A ____________ is an informal way of talking about a cup of tea or coffee.

9. If you ____________ something, you remove soap or dirt from it with water.

10. ____________ is a very thin and light sheet of metal used for wrapping things, especially food.

2 Find the information

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Using a dishwasher uses more water than washing dishes by hand.

2. If you go out for the evening you use more electricity than if you stay at home.

3. Cleaning your teeth in running water uses up to five litres of water per minute.

4. Half the street lighting in the UK could be powered by the electricity saved if people did not overfill kettles.

5. Power showers use 50 litres of water per minute.

6. Switching computer equipment off at night saves energy.

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Seize the day
Level 3 Advanced
Seize the day litres of water a minute will be going down the
Many people want to live a greener lifestyle, plughole if you do. Either turn the tap on and off
but don’t know where to start. To mark World as you need it, or fill a small beaker to use.
Environment Day, Hilary Osborne suggests Instead of jumping in the car at this point why
5
some small changes you can make to your not get on your bike – or the bus, or the train.
daily routine. You can plan your journey using public transport
June 5, 2007 online – you just need to type in your starting
point and destination. Londoners can find out
how long it will take them to walk to work on
1 World Environment Day seems like a good
the Walk It website, while cyclists anywhere
opportunity to look at your lifestyle and work
in the UK can find out about local routes
out what you can do to reduce the impact your
on the National Cycle Network map on the
lifestyle has on the planet. There are lots of small
Sustrans website.
things you can try that will help you save energy
and water and reduce how much waste and 6 If you really have to drive, why not offer a
pollution you are responsible for. Here is a dawn- colleague a lift? Your workplace may run a car
to-dusk guide to spending the day more greenly. sharing scheme which will put you in touch with
someone who lives nearby, or you could use a
2 Begin the day with a shower – but if you have a
site like Liftshare to find someone who is making
power shower make it snappy. While opting for
the same journey as you each day.
five minutes under a regular shower uses only
around a third as much water as having a bath, 7 When you get to work, instead of using a paper
switching on the power shower is a completely cup, use a mug you have brought in for your
different matter. Some pump out up to 24 litres of start-the-day cuppa. Do the same if you regularly
water a minute. In the long-term you could look drink water out of the office water cooler. Reusing
into buying a more efficient shower head which a beaker or glass you have taken in will save
will reduce the flow, but in the short-term the 20 plastic cups in the course of four weeks and,
most water-efficient option will be your flannel. assuming you get five weeks holiday and take
all of the bank holidays off work, 227 cups in the
3 At breakfast time only put as much water as
course of a year.
you need in the kettle for your morning coffee or
tea – making sure you cover the element if you’re 8 At lunchtime look for sandwiches with
using an electric kettle. According to figures biodegradable packaging – things like cardboard
from the government, if everyone boiled only the are better than pure plastic. Some shops, like
water they needed to make a cup of tea instead M&S, have started using cornstarch to make
of filling the kettle every time, we could save the windows on the packaging of some of their
enough electricity in a year to run nearly half sandwich range – this breaks down much more
of all the street lighting in the UK. With energy quickly than the plastic alternative. If you’re
savings come CO2 savings, so the net result is buying fruit, avoid grapes in plastic boxes
greener tea. If you are in the market for a new and other items that have been unnecessarily
kettle, and you are not stuck on having a chrome packaged – this might mean shopping at a
finish, you could make it an Eco Kettle. You can greengrocer’s rather than a supermarket or high-
fill it up in one go, but just boil the amount you street sandwich shop. Make sure you take along
want each time. your own bag to put your lunch in – that way
you can say no to a plastic bag. Better still, take
4 After breakfast you will need to brush your
in your own packed lunch – and don’t wrap it in
teeth, but don’t leave the tap running while you
brand-new kitchen foil. Wash and reuse foil from
do it. The Environment Agency says up to five
the day before, or buy some recycled foil.

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9 At the end of the day, rather than just logging 11 However you clean your dishes, consider using
off, switch off your computer and the monitor an environmentally friendly detergent for the job.
– unless your employer tells you not to. And have A number of companies now produce washing
a look round to see what other equipment can up liquids from natural ingredients that break
be turned off. According to the Carbon Trust, down in water, rather than hanging around and
switching off non-essential equipment in an office getting into rivers and the sea. And most come in
overnight will save enough energy to run a small refillable bottles so there’s less waste.
car for 100 miles.
12 Once the dishwasher is loaded or the washing
10 While you might think that running the up is done, go out. Pubs, theatres and cinemas
dishwasher to clean the pots from your evening will all have their lights and air conditioning on
meal uses more water than getting the rubber whether you’re there or not, while your house will
gloves on, according to Waterwise you would be only be lit if you’re at home. What better excuse
mistaken. It says that handwashing and rinsing to stay out until bedtime?
dishes can use as much as 150 litres of water a
day, while a dishwasher cycle can use as little as
10 litres. A dishwasher will, of course, use more © Guardian News & Media 2007
electricity though, so don’t put it on until there is First published in The Guardian, 5/6/07
a full load.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Which of these uses the least water?

a. Having a bath.
b. Having a regular shower.
c. Having a power shower.

2. What is the problem with boiling water in a kettle?

a. People put more water in the kettle than they need.
b. Kettles use a large amount of electrical power.
c. They have a chrome finish.

3. What advice is given regarding travelling to work?

a. Don’t take your car.
b. Take your car once a week.
c. If you drive, take a passenger.

4. Why take a mug to work?

a. Because it is easier than washing plastic cups.
b. Because you can use it instead of plastic cups.
c. Because you don’t have to wash it after each use.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words and expressions.

1. A 3-word expression meaning Do it quickly! (Para 2)

2. A noun meaning a hole at the bottom of a sink or bath where water flows out. (Para 4)

3. A noun meaning a plastic cup with straight sides. (Para 4)

4. A noun meaning a plan for achieving something. (Para 6)

5. A conjunction meaning if. (Para 7)

6. A 4-word expression meaning during. (Para 7)

7. A noun meaning a group of products of the same type. (Para 8)

8. A 2-word expression meaning designed not to harm the natural environment. (Para 11)

5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.

1. look into a. take with you

2. break down b. calculate

3. hang around c. search in different places

4. work out d. investigate

5. take along e. spend a lot of time doing nothing

6. look round f. separate into parts

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6 Vocabulary 3: –able

Complete these sentences with adjectives ending in –able

1. A bottle that can be filled again is a ____________ bottle.

2. Material than can be recycled is ____________ material.

3. A ____________ envelope can be used again and again.

4. A bottle that cannot be returned is a ____________ bottle.

5. ____________ information can be retrieved from a computer.

6. If something is ____________, it can be washed again.

7 Discussion

How green are you? Which of the pieces of advice given in the article would you follow? Can you think of any other
simple energy-saving activities?

182
New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Write the words below next to the definitions.

citizenship immigration integration immigrant

asylum indigenous migrant diversity

1. _______________ The process in which people enter a country in order to live there permanently.

2. _______________ Someone who comes to live in a country from another country.

3. _______________ Someone who travels to another place or country in order to find work.

4. _______________ People who lived in a place for a very long time before others came to live there.

5. _______________ The legal right to be a citizen of a particular country.

6. _______________ The right to stay in a country, given by a government to protect someone who has escaped

from war or political trouble in their own country.

7. _______________ The process of becoming a full member of a group or society, and becoming involved

completely in its activities.

8. _______________ The fact that very different people or things exist within a group or place.

2 What do you think?

Which of these subjects would you expect to read about in a text on integration, citizenship and national
a
pride? Tick ( ) the subjects you think will appear in the text. Add a further suggestion of your own.

Anti-social behaviour Pets Your suggestion:

Personal savings Voting _____________________

Civic duty Bank holidays

Extremism Asylum claims

Council housing Prisoners

English language skills Bi-lingual schooling

A contract Extended family

Now read the text and check your answers.

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New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced
Rules to make migrants integrate investment into the UK, passing English tests,
Ministers say citizenship should depend on good demonstrating knowledge of the UK, undertaking
behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge civic work and living in a law-abiding way.
of the UK. A points system for citizenship would allow
credits to be deducted for anti-social behaviour,
Patrick Wintour, political editor
fly-tipping or more serious criminal behaviour.
and Alan Travis
June 5, 2007 7 “This form of points system would be the basis
of a clearer relationship between the citizen
and the state. An easy to understand contract
1 Government ministers want to introduce a
such as this would incentivize integration and
national British day to complete a ‘citizenship
demonstrate a clearer sense in which citizenship
revolution’ that would also toughen rules for
and the rights that come with living in Britain
migrants and try to instil community pride in
are earned.”
all 18-year-olds.
8 Local government should also provide a
2 Under the new plans, every teenager in the UK
citizenship deal for newcomers, setting out their
would be given a citizenship pack when they
responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well
became eligible to vote, and migrants would only
as their access to English language training and
be able to become British citizens if they could
employment, say the ministers.
demonstrate good behaviour and a willingness
to integrate. 9 A ‘life in Britain – good neighbour contract’
would be provided to all migrants from inside
3 The national day, which could be a bank holiday,
and outside the EU, including those that stay
would be loosely modelled on Australia Day. The
temporarily. The contract would be introduced
proposals come from the communities secretary,
alongside identity cards. The ministers also
Ruth Kelly, and the immigration minister, Liam
suggest councils might spend less on translation
Byrne, who are also calling for more inclusive
services, and more on English language
and visible citizenship ceremonies for anyone
teaching. “Support cannot become dependency,”
wanting to settle in the UK.
they say.
4 Some of the ideas floated by the two ministers
10 The ministers warn there is “a critical risk
are likely to feature in the forthcoming report from
that after 40 years in which diversity has
the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.
grown, Britain’s communities are no longer
The themes have already been enthusiastically
looking outwards and celebrating what they
embraced by the prime minister-in-waiting,
have in common. Instead, they are beginning
Gordon Brown.
to look inwards, stressing their differences
5 Another idea is to improve links between and divisions”.
veterans and young people. The pack for
11 The threat to a united sense of feeling British
18-year-olds would set out information on
comes both from Islamist extremism and also
democracy, volunteering and civic duties such
groups like the British Nationalist Party. Ministers
as jury service. Student loan repayments could
argue that government has to acknowledge
be reduced in return for volunteering.
and respond to the growing mood of English
6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly argue that the current nationalism.
settlement policy for new migrants is “difficult to
12 “We risk seeing a more divided society, more
understand and unclear”. In future, full citizens
suspicious of each other and a society less
would need to accrue credits linked to time
capable of coming together around shared goals.
spent in the country, bringing substantial new
We need a stronger sense of why we live in a

184
New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced
common place and have a shared future.” Mr level of eastern European migration and the
Byrne admitted that recent eastern European foreign prisoners crisis has badly damaged
migration had proved a “shock to the system”. confidence in Britain’s asylum and immigration
system. He added, “We have to be open and
13 He said new migrants needed to do more to candid about the choices we have. In the 21st
“help them understand British values and its way century we can’t make big decisions in secret.”
of life.” He added: “We need to make it clearer
that citizenship isn’t simply handed out, but is 16 Mr Byrne’s intervention follows the row ignited
something which is earned.” last month by Margaret Hodge’s claim that new
migrants were getting priority for council housing
14 The ministers say a host of trends are pushing
over ‘indigenous’ residents.
Britons apart in the workplace, the family, the
media and new technology. They insist migration
has brought benefits, but say sometimes the © Guardian News & Media 2007
pace of change is rapid and destabilizing, First published in The Guardian, 5/6/07
pointing out that by 2011, only 20% of Britain’s
workforce will be white, able-bodied men
under 45.

15 In a speech to business leaders, Mr Byrne said

the new measures were needed because the
“spike” in asylum claims in 2000, the unpredicted

3 Comprehension check

According to the text, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)?

1. Britain has a national day, like Australia.

2. Migrants need to demonstrate good behaviour in order to vote in the UK.

3. The ministers want to encourage cooperation and understanding between the young and the old.

4. Law-abiding immigrants could gain points while anti-social and criminal immigrants could lose them.

5. There should be more English language lessons available for migrants, say the ministers.

6. Ministers think immigrants should learn to be more autonomous so that they don’t have to depend

on translators and interpreters.

7. Immigrant groups are integrating into society better than they used to.

8. A feeling of British nationalism is increasing amongst ‘indigenous’ people.

9. The recent number of immigrants arriving from eastern European countries has been higher than

anyone expected.

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New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Collocations

Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.

instil links
improve risk
accrue pride
critical credits
growing future
divided knowledge
demonstrate mood
shared society

Write example sentences for any of the collocations that are new to you. Use a dictionary or the Internet to
help you.

5 Vocabulary 2: Phrases

1. Match the halves of the phrases.

a shock a row
eligible of life
float to the system
ignite ideas
a way to vote

2. Now complete the sentences using the phrases.

a. Are we trying to protect ________________ that no longer exists?

b. The committee are meeting again tomorrow to ________________.
c. His comments are going to ________________.
d. In the UK, people are ________________ from the age of eighteen.
e. Arriving there in mid-winter will be a bit of ________________.

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New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced

6 Discussion

Does your country require new immigrants to take a citizenship test?

What subjects would you include when writing questions for a citizenship test?
Is nationalism generally a good or a bad thing? Try to think of different instances where national pride is acceptable
or not acceptable.

7 Webquest

Choose a country you would like to move to. Check out the immigration requirements for that country on the
Internet. Would you be able to move to the country of your choice without too many problems? In your opinion,
which would be the most difficult requirement to fulfil?

187
The new passage to India, business class
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

reject chaotic retail expat challenge

cope travail pale scramble crucial

1. An ____________ is someone who lives and works in a foreign country.

2. If something ____________, it becomes less important when compared with something else.

3. A ____________ is something that needs a lot of skill, energy and determination to deal with.

4. If you ____________, you deal successfully with a difficult situation.

5. ____________ is the process of selling goods direct to the public for their own use.

6. A ____________ is a situation where people are in a hurry to compete for the same thing.

7. If a situation is ____________, it is confused and disorganized.

8. If you ____________ an offer or a proposal, you say ‘no’ to it.

9. If something is ____________, it is extremely important.

10. A ____________ is a very difficult situation.

2 Find the information

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Half the airline pilots in India are foreign.

2. More than half the managers in Indian companies now come from abroad.

3. Delhi has an excellent public transport system.

4. 3 million university students graduate in India each year.

5. Salaries are increasing faster in China than in India.

6. India is becoming an attractive destination for senior managers.

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The new passage to India, business class
Level 3 Advanced
The new passage to India, of public relations at an Indian corporation earns
business class £40,000.

• Foreign executives pour in as salaries soar 5 Bharti Airtel, the country’s biggest mobile
• Shortage of local talent for booming economy operator, says foreign managers were once
rare but are now as good value as Indian staff.
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company’s founder,
June 13, 2007
told reporters last month his company had
begun to hire “expats who cost less than Indian
1 Three years after rejecting the chance to work managers”.
in India because the country was too poor and
chaotic, Andrew Levermore, a retail executive 6 Andrea Stone, head of marketing at Bharti’s
who had worked in South Africa and Britain, was software arm Telesoft, joined on local terms in
persuaded by a powerful Mumbai business family 2005. She said her salary was “good enough to
to set up India’s first western-style hypermarket. live well [in Delhi]”. “I brought skills they did not
have. One was that I had worked in Britain, Hong
2 “I came round when I saw their vision. They Kong, Japan and Germany and could deal with
were dead serious and yes I had to make overseas clients. The other was motivating teams
some lifestyle adjustments but it was too good of young dynamic people.”
an opportunity to miss. Of course the salary
compared favourably with home.” Now on 7 The real challenges, says Ms Stone, come
the brink of rolling out another 28 stores, Mr when you leave the office. “You can’t walk
Levermore, 44, is convincing two more expats outside easily. It’s too hot and there are not that
to leave jobs in the west and work in India. “I many parks. Also Delhi does not have a public
have just hired my head of operations from transport system, which is hard. You can’t pop
Sainsbury’s and there’s another [foreign hire] for out for Marks and Spencer food. But you cope.”
buying and merchandising.”
8 The travails of living in the developing world
3 Mr Levermore is part of a new passage to appear to pale beside the money to be made
India. As the economy booms, there is not there. Foreign companies are also importing
enough talent to fill the expanding number their brightest and best to India. Cisco Systems,
of middle management positions and more the US technology giant, transferred seven top
western expatriates are taking senior positions. managers to its Bangalore office this year. The
Recruitment consultants say Indian workers are head of Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever in the
asking for so much foreigners are being “priced country is a South African. The boss of Goldman
back in”. Sachs is an American.

4 “It’s happening very quickly now,” says Kris 9 Of the 3 million Indian students who graduate
Lakshmikanth, chief executive of Headhunters each year, Indian industry admits, only 15%
India. “We are seeing more than 15% of could be employed in multinationals. Recruiting
management and skilled positions being filled and retaining skilled Indian workers is becoming
by expats. In hotel management there’s a step harder and more expensive than ever. Pay
change required and we can only get that from packets are getting fatter faster in India than
abroad. In the airline industry, 50% of pilots are anywhere else in Asia. According to a study by
foreign. A few years ago they made up just 5% human resources company Hewitt Associates,
[of the workforce].” Salaries for chief executives average salary increases in India are running at
have doubled in the past few years and now more than 14% a year, compared with about 8%
range from £125,000 to £600,000. Senior in China and slightly less in South Korea and the
managers can expect £100,000 a year. The head Philippines.

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The new passage to India, business class
Level 3 Advanced
10 But many companies say that in the scramble were crucial in creating Reliance’s signature
to scale up, they need foreign help. Reliance convenience stores. “We were ahead of the
Industries, India’s biggest private company, world in creating [these]. When Tesco went to
is spending £2.5bn to create a chain of California it chose to use the same model. That
superstores across India. Its retail division now shows how we benefit [from foreign talent].”
employs 100 expatriates in senior management
who bring “invaluable global experience”. © Guardian News & Media 2007
These skills, said chairman Mukesh Ambani, First published in The Guardian, 13/6/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why do Indian companies need foreign managers?

a. Because there are not enough local managers to do these jobs.
b. Because they are more talented than local managers.
c. Because they do not ask for high salaries.

2. What is the biggest challenge for some expats?

a. The size of the job.
b. Walking outside the office.
c. Finding Marks and Spencer food.

3. Why do some expats go to India despite the problems of living there?

a. Because they don’t think they are important.
b. Because they enjoy the lifestyle.
c. Because they can make a lot of money there.

4. Why did Andrew Levermore reject a chance to work in India three years ago?
a. Because he didn’t like the lifestyle.
b. Because he thought the country was poor and disorganized.
c. Because the salary was too low.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the following words and expressions.

1. A two-word expression meaning small changes to the way you live. (Para 2)
2. A two-word expressions meaning to look good in comparison with something else. (Para 2)
3. A four-word expression meaning about to happen. (Para 2)
4. A two-word expression meaning a noticeable improvement. (Para 4)
5. An adjective meaning foreign. (Para 6)
6. A two-word expression meaning wages. (Para 9)
7. An adjective meaning extremely useful. (Para 10)
8. A noun meaning a distinctive characteristic or product that enables people to recognize someone or something.
(Para 10)

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Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings.

1. set up a. combine together to form a whole

2. come round b. go out quickly for a short time

3. roll out c. start a business

4. scale up d. introduce a new product or service

5. make up e. change your opinion or decision

6. pop out f. make something larger in size

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Match the verbs and the nouns.

1. make a. experience

2. fill b. workers

3. recruit c. clients

4. bring d. an opportunity

5. miss e. adjustments

6. deal with f. a position

7 Discussion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in another country? Would you like to work
overseas? Why? Why not?

191
Facebook challenges MySpace
Level 3 Advanced

1 Networking

Who do people normally network with?

Where do people network?

Is networking important?

What is a social networking website?

Pool your ideas in class and write them on the board.

2 Top 20 websites

Which do you think are the most popular websites in the UK?

List at least 5 that you would expect to see in the top 20 list of most visited websites.

At which position would you expect to find facebook.com?

Do a class survey. Which are the most popular websites in your class?

3 Top 20 websites

What types of companies are these?

Who are these people?

1. Google and Yahoo! ________________________________________

2. News Corp ________________________________________
3. Facebook and MySpace ________________________________________

4. Rupert Murdoch ________________________________________

5. Mark Zuckerberg ________________________________________
6. Jerry Yang ________________________________________

Write down your ideas and then skim-read the article for the answers.

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Facebook challenges MySpace
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Facebook challenges MySpace as initial $1bn offer was rejected by Mr Zuckerberg,
place for the cool set to hang out Yahoo! said it could raise that to $1.6bn – but
Helping people stay in touch with friends online he made it plain that he didn’t intend to sell just
has become the latest battleground for moguls. yet. At the time, many Internet watchers laughed
at the youthful ‘frat nerd’ for not cashing in his
Richard Wray, communications editor
chips, but today analysts reckon the business
June 21, 2007
could be worth several times what Yahoo!
initially offered.
Face to face
7 In the UK alone, Facebook has gone from the
1 Take everyone you’ve ever known – work
469th most popular website, in May last year, to
colleagues, former school friends, close family
the 18th. Half the visits to the site, according to
members, your boss, your ex-partner – and put
Internet statistics company Hitwise, come from
them in a single room. Then give them intimate
people in the 18-24 year old age group, but the
access to every corner of your life, from your
real growth over the past six months appears
trivial thoughts to your most recent holiday snaps
to have come from 24-35 year olds. The site
and your plans for the weekend. Then sit back
seems to have reached what sociologists term a
and watch the social experiment unfold.
‘tipping point’, with the name entering into many
2 Financiers have been betting on which social people’s vocabulary.
networking site would make the leap to the adult
Network effect
world. Its viral power, elegance of its design and
8 The rapid growth in Facebook is due to Mr
the flexibility and openness of its features have
Zuckerberg’s decision to open the network
made Facebook the hot favourite to do so.
to all-comers. Zuckerberg created Facebook
3 Facebook, like most Internet successes, appeals while at Harvard to help students deal with the
to our sense of curiosity, sociability and sharing. sometimes unfriendly atmosphere in Cambridge,
If MySpace is as messy and chaotic as a Massachusetts. Up to last autumn the site was
teenager’s bedroom, Facebook is the frenzied effectively invitation only, with users needing
networking of a cocktail party. to have an academic email address. Then in
September the company threw open its doors to
The rise to success everyone.
4 “I’ve added you as a friend on Facebook...” This
introduction to the web’s fastest growing social 9 “The growth started slowly in late September,
phenomenon has been appearing with growing early October last year and has really taken
frequency in email inboxes across the world. off since then,” says Heather Hopkins, vice
What started as a way for American college president of research at Hitwise UK. “There is a
friends to stay in touch has become one of the network effect as more people join and get more
Internet’s hottest properties. of their friends to join.”

5 The rise of Facebook, created by Harvard 10 It is adding more than 100,000 users a day and
drop-out Mark Zuckerberg three years ago, is already has 27 million active users, with more
challenging the dominance of MySpace in the than half of those returning daily. MySpace is
social networking market. This may explain why still considerably larger, with 60 million users
MySpace’s owner, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, in the US alone, but Facebook is catching up.
has considered exchanging it for a 25% stake in The growth has gathered pace due to the fact
online portal and search giant Yahoo! that new users are given the option of allowing
Facebook to access their email account to look
6 Yahoo! saw the potential for Facebook when for friends who are already using the service,
it tried to buy the business last year. After an

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Facebook challenges MySpace
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then email contacts who are not part of the 14 Talks between Mr Murdoch, who wants to
network to invite them inside. swap MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!,
and Yahoo!, have hit a snag. Earlier this week,
11 The success of Facebook has not gone Yahoo! chief executive Terry Semel stepped
unnoticed at News Corp. Asked earlier this month down after intense pressure from investors. His
by the Wall Street Journal why he had not made replacement, co-founder Jerry Yang, will want
an offer for another North American newspaper time to get to grips with the problems in the
group, Tribune, Mr Murdoch said it was because business before re-opening negotiations with
readership of its newspapers was declining. anyone.
“That’s because everyone’s going to MySpace,”
quipped the reporter. “I wish they were. They’re 15 But, for Mr Murdoch, the allure of the
all going to Facebook,” the media mogul retorted. Internet advertising market is not going
to go away. A recent report published by
12 That was taken by some media watchers as PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that last year,
evidence of a growing dissatisfaction with online advertising worldwide grew 37.9% to
MySpace. When Mr Murdoch bought the $31.6bn, accounting for more than 7% of the
company in 2005 for $580m (£290m), the deal total advertising market of $407bn. Globally
raised eyebrows among investors. But in August the Internet will remain the fastest growing
the following year, Mr Murdoch tied up a $900m advertising medium, with compound annual
deal with Google to provide adverts for MySpace. growth of 18.3% up to 2011. By that time the
That deal has been a double-edged sword. online advertising market will be worth $73bn,
The MySpace site has become cluttered with accounting for 14% of the global advertising
advertising. market of $531bn. That’s still a lot to play for.
Online ad boom
13 Mr Murdoch’s tie-up between MySpace and © Guardian News & Media 2007
Google gave him a way into the world of online First published in The Guardian, 21/6/07
search advertising, by far the largest part of the
booming online ad market. But it was only a foot
in the door. There is a feeling among analysts,
especially in the US, that News Corp needs
to get further into the search market. Which is
where a potential deal with Yahoo! becomes
attractive.

4 Summary

Which of the sentences below best summarizes the article?

1. News Corp, MySpace and Facebook are bidding against each other to buy stakes in Yahoo!

2. Providing social networking sites is a boom business as is advertising on the Internet.

3. People are buying fewer newspapers and using the Internet more.

Write one sentence to summarise each paragraph of the article. Compare your sentences with a partner.

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5 Pronunciation

1. Say these words out loud. Which syllable is stressed? Write the words into the columns according to
their pronunciation pattern.

financiers sociability introduction phenomenon

Massachusetts experiment sociologists

oOoo ooOo ooOoo

2. Write one sentence that contains at least 3 of these words. Who can come up with the most interesting
sentence? Note: It must make sense.

6 Similies

Use your own ideas to complete these similes.

1. As messy as ___________________________.

2. As chaotic as ___________________________.

3. As successful as ___________________________.

4. As complicated as ___________________________.

5. As wealthy as ___________________________.

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7 Idioms

Answer these questions according to the article.

1. Who didn’t cash in his chips? _____________________________________________

Where would you commonly cash in your chips? _____________________________________________

2. Who threw open their doors to whom? _____________________________________________

Is this a welcoming or unwelcoming gesture? _____________________________________________

3. What made investors raise their eyebrows? _____________________________________________

Think of something that would make you raise your eyebrows. _______________________________________

4. What is described as being a double-edged sword? _______________________________________

Give another example of something that is a double-edged sword. ___________________________________

8 Discussion

Would you consider joining a social networking community such as Facebook, MySpace or Friends Reunited?
Why? Why not? Make a list of pros and cons before starting your discussion.

8 Web quest

Go to www.facebook.com and click on the virtual tour (you do not need to register). Then answer these
questions.

Who can sign up to Facebook?

Whose profiles can you see when you sign up?

What does Facebook recommend you add when writing your profile?

Can you upload photos?

What will Facebook notify you of?

What can you do if you don’t want someone to access your profile?

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Hilton puts her fame to good use
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

probation pundit mainstay cynic sincere

superficial compassion scenario downfall misconception

1. A ____________ is a person who believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere

or honest.

2. A ____________ is a situation that could possibly happen.

3. A ____________ is someone who is an expert in a subject and often talks to the public about it.

4. A ____________ is a wrong belief or opinion as a result of not understanding something.

5. ____________ is a feeling of sympathy and caring for someone who is in a bad situation.

6. ____________ is a punishment where an offender is not sent to prison but has to agree not to break the law for

a specific period of time.

7. The ____________ of someone’s life is the element in it that they really depend on.

8. If something is ____________, it is not important and does not have a serious effect.

9. A ____________ person talks and acts in a way that shows they really mean what they say.

10. A ____________ is the sudden loss of power, status or success.

2 What do you know?

Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. Paris Hilton was sent to prison for speeding.

2. She spent 30 days in prison.

3. She was released from prison after three days.

4. A judge ordered her to be sent back to jail.

5. She served her sentence in a jail in New York.

6. One of Hilton’s friends is Britney Spears.

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Hilton to use her fame to promote I can make a difference and hopefully stop this
‘great causes’ vicious circle of these people going in and out
of jail.”
Mark Oliver and agencies
June 28, 2007 6 Hilton said she suffered from claustrophobia
and attention deficit disorder, for which she took
medication. She said the sheriff’s officials had
1 In her first interview after serving 23 days in prison released her to home confinement after just three
for violating a traffic offence probation, Paris Hilton days because of claustrophobia, anxiety and panic
has said she will be partying less and using her attacks. After a judge ordered her back to the
fame for the forces of good. The hotel heiress told California jail, Hilton said she coped by meditating
CNN’s Larry King last night that she wants to work and reading letters from fans. But she still had
for various social causes, including raising funds nightmares of “someone trying to break into my cell
for children and cancer sufferers and setting up a and hurt me”.
centre to help released female prisoners to get their
lives back on track. 7 “Just the whole idea of being in jail is really scary,”
she said. “I hate to be alone so that was really just
2 “There’s a lot more important things in life [than hard for me in the beginning.” Her life was now
partying],” said Hilton, who was released on at a crossroads, she said, insisting the scenario
Tuesday, during an hour-long, pre-recorded was “neither a downfall nor a failure, but a new
interview, after which pundits described her as beginning”.
looking demure and contrite. “I’m frankly sick of it.
I’ve been going out for a long time now. Yeah, it’s 8 She said: “I’m glad it happened in a way because
fun, but it’s not going to be the mainstay of my life it’s changed my life for ever. I feel stronger than
any more,” she said. She said she would never ever and I feel like this is a lesson in disguise.”
drink and drive again and insisted she did not have Asked by King about the crowd she hangs out with,
an alcohol problem. The world will see a new Paris which includes the singer Britney Spears and the
Hilton, she told King. actress Lindsay Lohan, Hilton replied: “Everybody
makes mistakes.”
3 Cynics might wonder at how dramatic this change
is going to be, given that talking to King, veteran of 9 She said a big misconception about her is that she
the celebrity confessional, was one of her first acts lives off her family’s money. “I work very hard. I run
after being freed. But Hilton - who apparently did a business. I’ve had a book on the New York Times
the interview without payment - insisted she was best-sellers list. I’m on the fifth season of my TV
sincere and wanted to be a better role model. Alone show. I did an album. I do movies,” she said.
in her cell for 23 hours a day, Hilton devoted herself 10 Last week, Hilton, who was educated at Catholic
to reading, writing a prison diary and thinking, schools, told TV journalist Barbara Walters, in a
she said. telephone interview from her prison cell, that she
had become more religious and wanted to work
4 Reading from her prison diary on the CNN show,
she said: “I feel like being in the spotlight. I have a with children. She told King she had always been
platform where I can raise awareness for so many religious and “always had a sense of spirituality
great causes and just do so much with this instead but even more so after being in jail”. She bought a
of superficial things like going out. I want to help Bible from the jail commissary and read it daily, she
raise money for kids and for breast cancer and said. Asked to name her favourite passage, she
multiple sclerosis.” smiled and looked away. “I don’t have a favourite,”
she said.
5 She spoke about her “compassion for those I
left behind at the prison” and said she wanted to © Guardian News & Media 2007
“help set up a place where these women can get First published in The Guardian, 28/6/07
themselves back on their feet.” She read: “I know

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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What does Paris Hilton want to do now she has left prison?
a. She now wants to spend more time partying.
b. She now wants to do charity work.
c. She now wants to be in the spotlight again.

2. How does she feel about her fellow prisoners?

a. She feels angry that they are in prison.
b. She feels sure they will be released soon.
c. She understands how they feel.

3. Which of these things helped Hilton to survive her spell in prison?

a. being alone
b. meditating and reading fan mail
c. writing a diary

4. Which of these best describes her attitude to religion?

a. She has always been religious but is now more religious than before.
b. She became religious during her spell in prison.
c. She wants to teach religion to children.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words and expressions.

1. An adjective referring to a woman and meaning quiet and shy. (Para 2)

2. An adjective meaning sorry and ashamed for something you have done. (Para 2)

3. A three-word expression meaning to spend a lot of time doing something. (Para 3)

4. A two-word expression meaning a process in which the existence of a problem causes other problems and this
makes the original problem worse. (Para 5)

5. A word meaning fear of enclosed spaces. (Para 6)

6. A noun meaning a bad dream. (Para 6)

7. An adjective meaning frightening. (Para 7)

8. A two-word verb meaning to spend time with particular people. (Para 8)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Collocations

Match the verbs with the nouns.

1. raise a. medication

2. make b. claustrophobia

3. suffer from c. awareness

4. take d. a business

5. run e. probation

6. violate f. a difference

6 Vocabulary 3: Phobias

Match the phobias with the definitions.

1. arachnophobia a. fear of open spaces/public places

2. technophobia b. fear of enclosed spaces

3. agoraphobia c. fear of spiders

4. claustrophobia d. fear of foreigners

5. xenophobia e. fear of heights

6. acrophobia f. fear of gadgets

7 Discussion

An American TV newsreader refused to read a headline about Paris Hilton, saying it wasn’t news and shouldn’t be
a news headline. Do you agree? Do you think that people like Hilton survive on the oxygen of publicity?

200
Growing cities face catastrophe
Level 3 Advanced

1 Brainstorming

In your class, brainstorm as many positive and negative aspects as you can about living in a city.

Which of your suggestions would you expect to come up in an article about a UN report into urbanization and
growing cities?

2 Keywords – synonyms

Skim-read the article and find synonyms for the following words or expressions. The paragraph numbers
have been given to help you.

1. A disaster (title) ____________

2. An inhabitant (subtitle) ____________
3. A change, a passage, or a transformation (para 1) ____________
4. Inescapable, unavoidable (para 2) ____________
5. Never having happened or existed before (para 2) ____________
6. Move (para 3) ____________
7. Multiple periods of 1,000 years (para 3) ____________
8. Growing untidily, expanding in all directions (para 4) ____________
9. Shanty town, poor housing area (para 4) ____________
10. Hygiene, cleanliness (para 4) ____________
11. Hands-on, take the initiative (para 7) ____________
12. Produce, production, harvest (para 8) ____________

3 Pronunciation
Write the words below into the chart according to their pronunciation pattern.

population unprecedented catastrophe inevitable Caribbean (BE) Caribbean (AE)

generation executive agricultural millennia sanitation comparison

oOoo ooOo oOooo ooOoo

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Growing cities face catastrophe
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Growing cities face catastrophe, is expected to add 440 million to its cities in
says UN the same period, and Latin America and the
Caribbean nearly 200 million. Rural populations
• Urban dwellers to outgrow rural population
are expected to decrease worldwide by 28 million
next year
people.
• Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution is feared
6 But urbanization can be positive. “No country in
John Vidal, environment editor
the industrial age has ever achieved significant
Thursday June 28, 2007
economic growth without urbanization, said Ms
Obaid. “Cities concentrate poverty, but they also
1 Humanity will make the historic transition from present poor people’s best hope of escaping
a rural to an urban species sometime in the it. The potential benefits of urbanization, which
next year, according to the latest UN population include easier access to health centres and
figures. The move will be led by Africa and Asia, education, far outweigh the disadvantages.”
which are expected to add 1.6 billion people to
their cities over the next 25 years. 7 However, the report warns that if we do nothing,
the growth of urbanization will mean more slums
2 The speed and scale of inevitable global and poverty, as well as a rise in attempted
urbanization is so great most countries will not migration away from poor regions. “Today one
be prepared for the affect it will have, Thoraya billion people live in slums, 90% of whom are in
Obaid, executive director of the UN Population developing countries. The fight against poverty
Fund, says. “In human history we have never will take place in the slums. To win it, politicians
seen urban growth like this. It is unprecedented.” need to be proactive and start working with the
3 Ms Obaid added: “In 2008, half of the world’s urban poor. The only way to defeat urban poverty
population will live in urban areas. The shift from is head on,” said Ms Obaid.
rural to urban areas changes a balance that has 8 The climate is expected to increasingly shape
lasted for millennia. Within one generation, five and be shaped by cities. In a vicious circle,
billion people, or 60% of humanity, will live in climate change will increase energy demand
cities. The urban population of Africa and Asia for air conditioning in cities, which will add to
is set to double in this time.” She said that each greenhouse gas emissions. It could also raise
week the numbers living in cities grows by nearly temperatures in urban areas by 2-6oC. “Heat,
a million. pollution, smog and ground-level ozone [from
4 “Most cities [in developing countries] already cities] affect surrounding areas, reducing
have pressing concerns, including crime, lack agricultural yields, increasing health risks and
of clean water and sanitation, and sprawling producing tornadoes and thunderstorms. The
slums. But these problems are not as serious as impacts of climate change on urban water
those that could be raised by future growth. If we supplies are expected to be dramatic,” the report
do not plan ahead it will be a catastrophe. The says. Cities like New Delhi, in the drier areas, will
changes are too fast to allow planners to react. If be hit particularly hard.
governments wait, it will be too late.” 9 Developing countries are at a great disadvantage
5 According to the State of the World Population when they start to urbanize. They will require
Report, which Ms Obaid launched in London, houses, power, water, sanitation and roads, and
large-scale population growth will take place will have to build faster than any rich country has
in the cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America. ever done.
It suggests the largest transition to cities will 10 The report also talks about the end for growth of
occur in Asia, where the number of urbanites existing mega-cities. “Only Dhaka in Bangladesh,
will almost double to 2.6 billion in 2030. Africa

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and Lagos in Nigeria, of the world’s 20 mega- 11 Ms Obaid said: “It concerns everyone, not just
cities, are expected to grow more than 3% a developing countries. If we plan ahead we will
year in the next decade ... most growth will be create conditions for a stable world. If we do
in smaller cities, of under 500,000 people. The not, and do not find education, jobs, and houses
good news is these cities are more flexible [in for people in cities, then these populations will
expansion]; the bad news is they don’t have become destructive, to themselves and others.”
enough housing, water, and waste disposal.”
© Guardian News & Media 2007
First published in The Guardian, 28/06/07

4 Comprehension

Are the sentences True (T) or False (F)? If they are false, say why.

1. Governments around the world are prepared for the problems that come with growing cities.

2. The biggest growth regions are Asia, Africa and South America.

3. According to the report, some of the biggest problems faced are in sanitation, transport, health issues,
schooling and animal welfare.

4. The UN suggests installing air-conditioning units to combat the rising temperatures.

5. Most of the growth will take place in the world’s existing mega-cities.

5 Collocations

1. Match the words to make collocations from the article.

climate countries
developing emissions
pressing change
greenhouse gas concerns

2. Write words on the lines to make collocations from the article.

Growth Urban

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Level 3 Advanced

3. Write at least 4 sentences using some of the collocations in 1 and 2.

……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..

……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..

……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..

……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..

6 A vicious circle

Draw a diagram of the vicious circle described in paragraph 8 relating to climate changes and cities.
Include at least 4 steps.

Step 1 Climate change

........................

Step 4 ……………. Step 2 …………………

Step 3 …………………

7 Discussion – Are you a town or a country person?

Get into groups with other ‘townies’ or ‘country-folk’, and discuss what you like best about living in the countryside
or in urban areas. Note down the strongest arguments for your side and then, in a whole class discussion, try to
convince the other group to move to your side.

8 Webquest – Mega-cities

Check the Internet to find out which are the largest cities in the world, by population and by area (city limits
and metropolitan).
Do different websites give different answers? What factors affect the answers?

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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.

fluctuation mortality plausible prone binge

impoverished distiller demise abuse rogue

1. If someone is ____________ to something, they are likely to suffer from it or be affected by it.

2. A ____________ is a person who produces strong alcohol.

3. ____________ are frequent changes in something, particularly in numbers.

4. ____________ is the use of something in a bad, dishonest or harmful way.

5. If something is ____________, it is likely to be true.

6. A ____________ trader or group member is one who does not behave in the same way as others and is

considered dangerous.

7. ____________ means very poor.

8. ____________ is the number of deaths in a particular area or group of people.

9. ____________ is the time when someone or something stops existing.

10. A ____________ is an occasion when someone does too much of something they enjoy doing, e.g.

drinking alcohol.

2 What do you know?

Read these statements and decide whether they are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in
the text.

1. The population of Russia is rising.

2. Russians drink more alcohol than any other nation in the world.
3. The Russian economy has grown spectacularly since 2000.
4. More than half the men of working age who die in Russia are killed by alcohol.
5. Illegally produced alcohol is rare in Russia.
6. The World Health Organisation regards Russia as one of the most alcoholic countries in the world.

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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks
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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s alcohol per capita each year for over-15s. They
killer drinks also drank more dangerously and were prone to
binges, meaning two or more days of continuous
Sarah Boseley, health editor, and Luke
drunkenness.
Harding in Moscow
June 15, 2007 5 David Leon, of the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues examined
records and interviewed the families of 1,750
1 Almost half of working-age men in Russia who
men who had died in Izhevsk from 2003-05. The
die are killed by alcohol abuse, according to
men were compared with 1,750 who were still
a new medical study which says the country’s
alive. They found that problem drinkers and those
males die in excessive numbers not just because
who drank alcohol not intended for consumption
they drink lots of vodka but because they also
were six times more likely to have died young
consume products containing alcohol, such as
than those who did not have a drinking problem.
eau de cologne, antiseptics and medicines.
The chances of an early death were particularly
Some products contain 95% alcohol by volume.
high for those who got their alcohol from eau de
2 An international group of scientists looked at a cologne and other unorthodox sources - they
single city in the Urals to establish the effects of were nine times more likely to die.
the drinking in Russia. Izhevsk was chosen for
6 The authors say that men impoverished after
being a typical industrial city where life is much
losing a job through drinking may be forced to
the same as elsewhere and where death rates
resort to drinking household products containing
match the Russian average. Underlying the
pure alcohol. Among those who were still
work was the question of why life expectancy in
alive, 47% who drank such products were
Russia is so low: in 2004 it was 59 years for men
jobless compared with 13% who stuck to vodka
and 72 for women. Due to the low life expectancy
and beer.
and birth rate, the population in Russia is falling
by 700,000 a year. 7 Overall, 43% of deaths of men aged 25 to 54
were caused by alcohol, a figure that could be
3 Alcohol has always been an important factor
applied to all of Russia because of the typical
in death and disease in Russia, borne out by
nature of Izhevsk. An estimate in 2002 put the
fluctuations in the death rates linked to changes
death toll at 27%. The authors say their higher
in lifestyle and politics, says a report on the
figures could be due to taking into account
study, in the Lancet medical journal. “President
drinking of household products with very high
Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign in the mid-
levels of alcohol, as well as binges.
1980s was associated with an immediate rise
in life expectancy, whereas increased alcohol 8 “Almost half of all deaths in working-age men in
consumption has been linked to rising mortality a typical Russian city may be accounted for by
in the early 1990s during the transition from hazardous drinking,” they write. “Our analyses
communism. Deaths related to alcohol, such provide indirect support for the contention that
as acute alcohol poisoning and liver cirrhosis, the sharp fluctuations seen in Russian mortality
showed the greatest fluctuations, with similar in the early 1990s could be related to hazardous
trends for other causes plausibly linked to drinking as indicated by consumption of non-
alcohol consumption.” beverage alcohol.”

4 A study published last year found that Russians, 9 A separate commentary points out that people
and inhabitants of other former parts of the who get their alcohol from household products
Soviet Union, drank more than anybody else often live in poor housing and have bad diets,
in the world - an estimated 15.2 litres of pure which could contribute to their chances of an

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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks
Level 3 Advanced
early demise. It adds that illegally produced 11 Russian alcoholics - drinking perfume,
alcoholic beverages are also widely consumed. aftershave and cheap local alcohol - face great
dangers. In winter, newspapers are invariably
10 The Kremlin is acutely aware of the epic scale full of stories of drunks who have died after
of alcoholism. Ministers call it a “national falling through icy ponds or collapsing in the
tragedy”. Although President Vladimir Putin has snow. According to 2005 figures, Russia has
presided over a period of spectacular economic about 2,348,567 registered alcoholics, and
growth since 2000, he has so far not persuaded alcohol is being linked to 72% of murders and
Russians to drink less. The government has 42% of suicides. The World Health Organisation
recently cracked down on rogue distillers. rates the country as one of the most alcoholic in
Yesterday the federal tax service suspended the the world.
licence of several factories producing “alcohol
and ethyl alcohol products”, saying they had not © Guardian News & Media 2007
complied with a law requiring data on how much First published in The Guardian, 15/6/07
alcohol each bottle holds.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. The city of Izhevsk was chosen for the medical study because…
a. There are more alcoholics there than anywhere else in Russia.
b. Life there is much the same as in other industrial cities in Russia.
c. People there consume products such as eau-de-cologne and antiseptics containing alcohol.

2. Life expectancy in Russia decreased during the 1990s because…

a. Alcohol became cheaper after the communist regime fell.
b. President Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign was abandoned during the transition from communism.
c. People became richer so they could afford to buy more alcohol.

3. What class of people did the study classify as ‘problem drinkers’?

a. People who were prone to binge drinking.
b. People who lost their jobs through drinking.
c. People who drank alcohol not intended for consumption.

4. What is the connection between alcohol poisoning and social conditions?

a. People who drink alcohol not intended for consumption often live in poor housing and have bad diets.
b. Household products are widely available in impoverished cities.
c. People die after falling through icy ponds or collapsing in the snow.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the following words and phrases in the text.

1. A two-word noun phrase meaning the number of years people normally live. (para 2)
2. The past participle of a phrasal verb meaning to prove or show that something is true. (para 3)
3. A serious disease affecting one of the body’s most important organs. (para 3)
4. A phrasal verb meaning to do something extreme or unpleasant in order to solve a problem. (para 6)
5. An adjective meaning dangerous or risky. (para 8)
6. A noun meaning an opinion or statement that something is true. (para 8)
7. A formal word meaning drinks. (para 9)
8. A two-word expression meaning enormous extent. (para 10)

5 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + noun collocations

Match the adjectives with the nouns to make collocations. Check your answers in the text.

1. important a. diet

2. low b. alcohol

3. acute c. growth

4. pure d. factor

5. high e. poisoning

6. sharp f. life expectancy

7. bad g. level

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6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs followed by prepositions

Which prepositions follow these verbs?

1. compare _______

2. link _______

3. associate _______

4. resort _______

5. stick _______

6. account _______

7. relate _______

8. contribute _______

7 Discussion

Should alcohol be classified as a dangerous drug? Should its consumption be limited?

209
Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the article.

carbon footprint global warming renewable energy

climate change greenhouse gases carbon dioxide

1. The chemical equation for _______________________ is CO2.

2. A _______________________ is a measure of the amount of CO2 emitted through the combustion of

fossil fuels.
3. Some _______________________ occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities,
for example, by burning fossil fuels such as coal.

4. _______________________ refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air
and oceans.

5. _______________________ is one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing
the planet.

6. Solar, wind and water power are all forms of _______________________.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the article.

1. Bob Geldof recently organized the Live Earth concert in London.

2. Al Gore spearheaded the organization worldwide.

3. The concert was broadcast on TV, radio and the Internet to two billion people.

4. Paul McCartney made a guest appearance at Wembley Stadium in London.

5. Some well-known bands found the event hypocritical.

6. The Internet coverage was sponsored by an automotive company.

7. The concert took place in all seven continents of the world.

8. The event sparked criticism about the amount of greenhouse gases it produced.

9. Environmentalists all agree that offsetting is the best way to deal with carbon footprints.

10. Al Gore is the Democrats’ candidate for the next US presidential election.

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Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
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150 acts, two billion viewers – and a 5 These warnings will count for little if the event
lot of greenhouse gas achieves its twin goals: pressuring politicians to
sign an international treaty pledging massively
24-hour, seven continent show raises awareness
reduced emissions within two years and
but at what cost to climate?
persuading individuals to make lifestyle changes,
Oliver Burkeman and Jonathan Watts such as installing four energy-efficient light bulbs,
in Beijing or taking public transport to work once a week.
July 7, 2007
6 “The important thing was not to have no carbon
1 The climate scientists have spoken. Now it’s
footprint and no acts, but to have really great
James Blunt’s turn. But if scepticism, even acts,” insisted Steve Howard, a climate-change
cynicism, is a natural response whenever pop consultant who runs We’re In This Together, a UK
stars promise to change the world, there’s no campaign linked to Live Earth. It was launched
denying the scale and intensity of Live Earth, earlier this year and has already saved 36,000
their latest attempt. tonnes of CO2, Mr Howard said. “Does that save
the planet? No, not in itself. But it’s equivalent to
2 The 24-hour, seven-continent sequence of 13,000 family cars being taken off the road.”
concerts, began in Sydney on July 7. The
organizers, spearheaded by Al Gore, expected 7 At the heart of the challenge facing Mr Gore
it to reach two billion people via 120 television and his organization, Save Our Selves, is the
networks, Internet and radio, making it the nebulous concept of ‘awareness’. The worst-case
biggest media event in history. At Wembley, scenario is that raising awareness about climate
80,000 people watched Madonna, Genesis, change may not lead to action – and might even
the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, the instil a sense of fatalism. It doesn’t help that
Beastie Boys, Duran Duran and James Blunt, touring stars are among the worst individual
although the rumours of an appearance by Paul greenhouse gas offenders. Last year, Madonna’s
McCartney remained just rumours. Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of carbon
dioxide in four months, said John Buckley, of
3 All this is hardly without its moral complexities. the website www.carbonfootprint.com, who
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were flown in by also provided the estimates for Live Earth
private jet from Paris, the band’s management concertgoers.
confirmed, then left again by private jet for a
gig in Denmark. The Beastie Boys had to be in 8 The rock group Arctic Monkeys said this
Montreux the next day and Genesis played in week they had declined to take part in Live
Manchester the same evening. Earth, because it would be “a bit hypocritical”.
“Especially when we’re using enough power for
4 And an estimate calculated for the Guardian
10 houses just for [stage] lighting,” said drummer
suggests that spectators travelling to the London Matt Helders.
and New Jersey concerts alone generated
approximately 5,600 tonnes of greenhouse 9 Risking charges of inconsistency, Bob Geldof,
gases between them – the equivalent of 7,270 instigator of Live Aid and Live8, said in May that
people crossing the Atlantic by plane. You can, raising awareness was pointless. “Everybody’s
it seems, be part of the solution and part of the known about that for years,” he said. “We’re all
problem, at the same time. Even those who conscious of global warming.”
watched online found that Live Earth’s website
is sponsored by the Chevrolet company, which 10 Acutely aware of the need to minimize the
manufactures SUVs. event’s own footprint, Live Earth organizers

211
Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
Level 3 Advanced
promised to power all shows with renewable 12 There is another possible interpretation of July
energy, and to offset flights taken by the 150 acts 7’s global events – aside from the hope that
performing in London, New Jersey, Shanghai, they will make all the difference in the world.
Johannesburg, Tokyo, Hamburg, Sydney, and – This is the possibility that it is all a prelude to the
after a last-minute threat of cancellation – Rio de announcement of a presidential bid by Mr Gore,
Janeiro. (Scientists at a base in Antarctica also an idea he has been denying with less force
performed by satellite, so the event covered all recently.
continents.) And Gayle Fine, a New York-based
spokeswoman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 13 You might see that interpretation as the worst
said the band offsets all tour travel, while ground kind of cynicism. Then again, Live Earth’s
crews use biodiesel fuel where possible. message is that we each should do whatever
we can for the climate. And polls increasingly
11 Offsetting is controversial among some suggest that something Mr Gore could do,
environmentalists, who argue it simply eliminates besides changing his light bulbs, is to win the
guilt. But Madonna, organizers noted, lives Democratic nomination – and, quite possibly, the
in London, and generally, bands had been White House.
assigned to perform in cities where they lived, or
in the continents where they were touring. © Guardian News & Media 2007
First published in The Guardian, 7/7/07

3 Comprehension check

1. What does the event hope to achieve? Give two examples.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name three reasons why the event is being criticized.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What reasons does a spokesperson give to suggest that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are a ‘green’ band?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why was Bob Geldof cynical about the event?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Why didn’t the Arctic Monkeys play at the concert?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What hidden agenda do some critics suggest accompanies the Live Earth concerts?
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations. Then find them again in the article
to see in which context they are used.

nebulous complexities
worst-case light bulbs
moral fuel
energy-efficient offenders
greenhouse-gas guilt
biodiesel bid
eliminate concept
presidential scenario

5 Discussion

Would you attend a benefit concert such as Live Earth? Why/Why not?
What other ways can you think of to raise awareness of environmental issues?

In groups, list the major steps involved in planning an awareness raising event. Compare your lists with
the others. Could you imagine organizing an awareness raising event?

6 Webquest

1. Go to www.carbonfootprint.com and find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. List at least 3 things you
can do that will make an immediate difference as well as 3 things you can do that will make a difference
within 1-4 years, and do them!

2. How can you offset your carbon footprint? Do you think this actually makes a difference?

213
Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these verbs from the text with their meanings.

expel unveil escalate overcome refrain

summon pursue condemn extradite flee

1. ____________ – to become or make much worse or more serious.

2. ____________ – to say publicly that you think something is bad or wrong.

3. ____________ – to send a criminal back for a trial in a country where a crime was committed.

4. ____________ – to escape from a dangerous situation or place very quickly.

5. ____________ – to announce officially something that was previously a secret.

6. ____________ – to follow a course of activity.

7. ____________ – to succeed in dealing with or controlling a problem.

8. ____________ – to officially order someone to come to a particular place.

9. ____________ – to stop yourself from doing something.

10. ____________ – to officially force someone to leave a place.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Condoleeza Rice is the vice-president of the United States.

2. Alexander Litvinenko was killed by radiation poisoning.

3. Vladimir Putin is the Russian prime minister.

4. MI6 is a Russian intelligence agency.

5. The Foreign Office is name of the UK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

6. British businessmen do not need visas to enter Russia.

214
Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced
Putin hits back at UK by between Russia and Britain will develop normally
expelling diplomats because both countries are interested in this,” he
said. “It is necessary to measure one’s actions
Luke Harding in Moscow
against common sense, respect the legitimate
July 20, 2007
interests of partners and everything will be
alright. I think we will overcome this mini crisis,”
1 Russia yesterday expelled four British diplomats he said.
and banned its officials from travelling to the
5 The Russian response notably did not include
UK in a move denounced as “completely
accusations of British spying – despite claims
unjustifiable” by Britain. In a tit-for-tat response
from Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB agent
over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko,
charged with Mr Litvinenko’s murder – of MI6
Russia’s foreign ministry announced that four UK
involvement. Sergei Markov, a Kremlin adviser
diplomats had been declared persona non grata.
and leading analyst, told the Guardian he felt Mr
They had ten days to leave, it said.
Putin had refrained from too strong a reaction
2 Foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin because “he doesn’t want to play the role of the
also announced that the Kremlin was suspending Soviet Union. He doesn’t want to have a big
its co-operation with the UK in fighting terrorism conflict with the west.” Mr Markov said the ban
and would stop issuing visas to British officials. on British officials travelling to Russia was less
Russian officials would also no longer seek draconian than it seemed and would not apply to
visas for Britain, he said, effectively ending any Mr Miliband or to MPs wanting to visit Russia.
prospect of face-to-face government contact
6 Yesterday afternoon Russia’s foreign minister
for the foreseeable future. Russia’s action
summoned Britain’s ambassador in Moscow,
was “targeted, balanced and the minimum
Sir Anthony Brenton. He and the Russian
necessary,” he said. “To our regret co-operation
deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko
between Russia and Britain on issues of fighting
discussed the Litvinenko case. Emerging
terrorism becomes impossible.”
afterwards, the ambassador said: “He gave me
3 The Kremlin’s response – four days after certain messages to pass on to the Foreign
the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, Office. I have underlined to him my continuing
announced that he was expelling four Russian disappointment at Russia’s reaction to our
diplomats because of Moscow’s failure to request for Mr Lugovoi and our hope that Russia
co-operate in the investigation into Mr will co-operate.”
Litvinenko’s death – was milder than many
7 It is not known which British diplomats have
expected. After three days of closed debate
been ordered out. But Kremlin sources said
inside the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin had
they occupied the same ranks as the Russian
decided not to escalate his conflict with Britain,
diplomats expelled from London on Monday.
analysts said. Instead, the response was a
They are believed to include Russia’s naval
careful mirror image of the measures unveiled
attaché and three members of Russia’s trade
by Mr Miliband. But the foreign secretary
mission. Yesterday’s move puts the ball back into
emphasized Britain’s concern. He said: “We
the court of the British government, which must
obviously believe that the decision to expel four
now decide whether to pursue further action.
embassy staff is completely unjustified and we
The foreign secretary yesterday condemned the
will be doing everything to ensure that they and
expulsion of British diplomats as “completely
their families are properly looked after.”
unjustified”. He said: “We are disappointed
4 Last night Mr Vladimir Putin made an apparent that the Russian government should have
attempt to reduce the tension. “I think relations signalled no new co-operation in the extradition

215
Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced
of Mr Andrei Lugovoi for the alleged murder of competing in their mutual spitting competition,”
Alexander Litvinenko.” Sergei Karaganov, an analyst with the European
Studies Institute in Moscow, told the Guardian.
8 He continued: “We are, however, much
He added: “Russia has done tit-for-tat. They
heartened that over the last 36 hours across the couldn’t have done less. But they could have
international community, European countries, done much more.”
the EU as a whole and the United States should
have put out such positive statements about the 10 Mr Litvinenko, a former Russian security agent
need to defend the integrity of the British judicial who fled to Britain, died in a London hospital last
system, and that is something that we shall be November from a fatal dose of the extremely
taking forward with the international community rare radioactive isotope polonium-210. The US
over the next few days and weeks.” secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, yesterday
insisted that Russia should not be isolated.
9 Yesterday’s tit-for-tat expulsions are likely to
be welcomed by British businesses, which had © Guardian News & Media 2007
feared more stringent measures affecting visas. First published in The Guardian, 20/7/07
“There is some hope that both sides will stop

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What led directly to the expulsion of the four Russian diplomats from Britain?
a. The murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
b. The alleged failure of the Russians to co-operate with the investigation into Mr Litvinenko’s death.
c. The expulsion of four British diplomats from Russia.

2. How does the text describe the Russian response to the British action?
a. As an over-reaction
b. As a kind of copy of what the British did
c. As an unexpectedly mild response

3. What is President Putin’s assessment of relations between Britain and Russia?

a. He thinks they are very bad.
b. He thinks they are very good.
c. He thinks they will improve in the future.

4. What has been the reaction of British business people to the Russian action?
a. They are afraid that a stricter visa regime will be imposed.
b. They are probably relieved because the measures taken could have been much worse.
c. They are pessimistic about future relations between the two countries.

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Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. A three-word expression meaning something you do to harm someone who has harmed you. (para 1)

2. A formal three-word expression meaning someone who is not welcome. (para 1)

3. A four-word expression meaning for as far in the future as can be determined, based on what is known now.
(para 2)

4. A two-word expression meaning an exact copy. (para 3)

5. An adjective meaning extremely strict and severe. (para 5)

6. An idiom meaning to tell someone it is their responsibility to take action or make the next decision. (para 7)

7. An adjective meaning encouraged, happier and more hopeful. (para 8)

8. An adjective meaning very strict. (para 9)

5 Vocabulary 2: Synonyms

Look at the following words from the text. Match the synonyms to make five pairs of words.

charge draconian denounce stringent condemn

order out accuse emphasize expel underline

6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions

Which prepositions follow these words from the text? Check your answers in the text.

1. refrain _______ 5. reaction _______

2. investigation _______ 6. expel _______

3. charge _______ 7. ban _______

4. apply _______ 8. conflict _______

7 Discussion

Should a citizen of your country who has committed a crime in another country be extradited to that coun-
try to face trial? What are the arguments for and against extradition?

217
YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

grill clip hail quirky disseminate

spoof tilt free-for-all unsettles breakthrough

1. A ____________ is an attempt to achieve something.

2. A ____________ is an uncontrolled situation in which people compete with each other and where there are

no rules.

3. A ____________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.

4. A ____________ is a very short part of a film, TV programme or news story.

5. If you ____________ someone, you ask them a lot of difficult questions.

6. If you ____________ information, you make it available to a lot of people.

7. If people ____________ something, they say publicly how good or important it is.

8. If something ____________ you, it makes you feel nervous, confused or anxious.

9. A ____________ is a piece of entertainment that copies something in a funny way and makes it seem silly

or pretentious.

10. If something is ____________, it is slightly strange or unusual.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether you think these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. YouTube did not exist during the last US presidential campaign in 2004.
2. The next presidential elections in the US will take place in 2008.
3. Hillary Clinton is one of the Republican candidates for the 2008 US presidential election.
4. More than 25 million people have watched a YouTube video about Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama.
5. YouTube is teaming up with CNN to broadcast a debate between the Democratic candidates.
6. John F Kennedy appeared in a televised debate in 1980.

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YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced
Debate brings YouTube to centre of surroundings, and that person is bringing you
2008 presidential campaign into their world, their reality. That makes it a very
powerful experience.”
Ewen MacAskill in Charleston
July 23, 2007 6 Some of the videos do not ask questions at all: in
one, a man plays guitar and sings a song about
potential vice-presidents; another includes a talking
1 Old media enter into an uneasy alliance with new duck; one man, making a point about the impact of
media tonight to grill the Democratic candidates in
petrol on the environment, is shown driving a 1987
the United States’ 2008 presidential race. CNN and
Chevy convertible.
YouTube, the video-sharing website, are holding a joint
debate in which the public have sent in video-recorded 7 Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline, told Reuters
questions for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the YouTube’s increasing coverage of politics was
other candidates. significant. “In the past, the campaigns sort of stuck
their toe into technology and innovation – it was a
2 Hours before last night’s deadline, more than 2,300 small detail of what was going on. The difference
videos recorded on webcameras and mobile phones
in this election is that technology has become
had been submitted. Among them is a 30-second clip
fundamental. Every campaign has figured out ways to
from a cancer survivor who removes her wig and says
use YouTube all the time.”
her chances of survival are not as good as they would
have been if she had had health insurance. “What 8 The Internet played a small but short-lived role in
would you, as president, do to make low-cost or free the 2004 presidential election, with online donations
preventative medicine available for everyone in this funding the sudden rise of the Democrat Howard
country?” she asks. Dean. Online Democratic bloggers played a bigger
part in last year’s Congressional elections. But
3 The event is being hailed by the organizers as a the Internet is shifting into a central position in this
breakthrough for the new media, comparable to the
campaign in terms of disseminating ideas, fundraising
impact of television on politics when Richard Nixon
and mobilizing support, particularly among the young.
debated with John Kennedy in 1960. But some
bloggers, who see the Internet as a democratic 9 YouTube, which did not exist during the last
free-for-all, have expressed unhappiness about the presidential campaign, has already had an impact on
involvement of CNN. The candidates will meet in a this one. More than 2.5 million people have viewed
military college in Charleston, South Carolina and the video I’ve Got A Crush ... On Obama since it
watch the questions being displayed on a 7.6 metre was posted last month and a follow-up about women
by 5.5 metre screen. Allowing CNN to select the 25-30 fighting over Mr Obama and Rudy Giuliani, the
questions has upset many bloggers. Republican frontrunner, has been watched more than
500,000 times since it appeared last week. A Hillary
4 Questions submitted so far cover climate change, Clinton campaign spoof on the final episode of the
immigration, gay rights, welfare and foreign policy. The
Sopranos was also popular.
ratio of questions about Iraq is low in comparison with
the extensive daily coverage it gets in US papers and 10 YouTube effectively knocked the former Republican
on television. Although CNN is filtering the questions, senator George Allen out of the race. A video of him
there is the potential for quirky or emotional questions last summer referring to a dark-skinned Virginian as
that might unsettle a candidate. “macaca” cost him re-election to the senate and a tilt
at the presidency. CNN and YouTube are to join forces
5 Steve Grove, head of YouTube’s news and politics again on September 17 for a Republican debate.
section, told the Washington Post: “These YouTube
questions – a lot of them, anyway – are intimate,
© Guardian News & Media 2007
emotional, personal. That person is in his/her own
First published in The Guardian, 23/7/07

219
YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How does the Internet’s role in the current presidential campaign differ from its role in the last campaign?
a. It is collecting online donations for the candidates.
b. It is playing a much more central role this time.
c. It is being used to spread information.

2. How did YouTube knock George Allen out of the presidential race?
a. It refused to show his promotional video.
b. It showed a video of his opponents criticizing him.
c. It showed a video of him making a racist comment.

3. How do the organizers describe the joint CNN/YouTube debate?

a. They say it is an important milestone in the history of the Internet.
b. They say it is the most important event since the debate between Nixon and Kennedy.
c. They say it will be the most successful debate ever broadcast.

4. Why are some bloggers unhappy?

a. Because the questions will be edited.
b. Because the Internet is a democratic free-for-all.
c. Because they don’t like the fact that CNN is involved.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. An adjective meaning not settled or calm. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning similar to another thing so that it is reasonable to compare them. (para 3)

3. A noun meaning the amount of attention that the media give to something. (para 4)

4. A verb meaning to check something and remove things you don’t want. (para 4)

5. A four-word expression meaning to try doing something in order to test whether it will be successful. (para 7)

6. A two-word verb meaning to be able to understand something or solve a problem. (para 7)

7. A two-word adjective meaning lasting for a short period of time. (para 8)

8. A verb meaning to encourage people to support an idea or plan. (para 8)

220
YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right.

1. enter into a. funds

2. hold b. a role
3. submit c. ideas
4. play d. a debate
5. disseminate e. an impact
6. raise f. support
7. mobilize g. an alliance
8. have h. a question

6 Vocabulary 3: Word building

Complete the table.

verb noun noun (person)

1. survive
2. migrate
3. preside
4. elect
5. campaign
6. donate
7. insure
8. organize

7 Discussion

If you had the opportunity, what questions would you ask your political leaders? What would you like them
to change in your country?

221
Going under
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading A: Predicting the content

Read the headline and the sub-heading. What do you think the article is going to be about?

Going under
Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly damp climate. We are used
to suffering week upon week of rain. So why have a few heavy showers
caused such devastation around the country this summer?
Aida Edemariam reports
July 24, 2007

2 Pre-reading B: Key words

Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below.

trapped run-off drainage sewers flush

ploughs absorb crop paving freak

1. ____________ removing liquids from something

2. ____________ covering the ground with tiles, stones, concrete, etc.

3. ____________ digs up the land in lines, using machines

4. ____________ excess water that cannot sink onto the ground

5. ____________ kept in one place and stopped from moving away

6. ____________ a system of pipes underground to carry waste water away

7. ____________ take in liquid a little at a time

8. ____________ very unusual

9. ____________ plants grown for food

10. ____________ to wash away

Now read the article, check the words in context, and see if your prediction was correct.

222
Going under
Level 3 Advanced
Going under 4 In fact, the answer lies partly in how quickly it all
happened. Brize Norton in Oxfordshire received
Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly
121.2mm of rain between midnight Thursday and 5pm
damp climate. We are used to suffering week
Friday – a sixth of what it would expect for the whole
upon week of rain. So why have a few heavy
year. South Yorkshire got a month’s worth of rain on
showers caused such devastation around the
June 25. And it has been raining for weeks now, “and
country this summer?
the ground is very wet, so immediately you get rainfall,
Aida Edemariam reports
you get runoff”, explains professor Adrian Saul, of
July 24, 2007
Sheffield University.

1 Anyone attempting to take a train to or from the It isn’t just a case of the ground not being able to
5
southwest of England this weekend could be forgiven
absorb so much so fast – drainage systems can’t
for wondering if they had accidentally strayed on to
either, and have simply been overwhelmed. “When
the set of a disaster movie. Trains appeared on boards
you design a system you have to take a level of risk,
and then simply vanished. Announcers on the London
and generally the level of risk is sufficient to protect
Underground announced lists of lines progressively
our communities,” says Saul. “But once that level has
going out of service. As for those who had to watch
been passed, the defences are overwhelmed. It’s
their homes and businesses surrender to the rising
very fortunate that the Victorians built the systems as
tide, among them there was a general sense of
big as they did. In London in particular, [they] had the
disbelief. Disbelief that a downpour so short should
foresight to see that there would be change, and it’s
wreak such havoc, disbelief that such scenes should
protected London ever since.” Which is, of course,
be occurring at all.
impressive, and true, but it is also true that they were
built when London’s population was a quarter of what it
2 The disbelief is justified. This, after all, is a country is now – and last Friday, they simply didn’t hold up.
famed for its wetness. Rain is our national weather.
Snow – well, we all know what happens when Britain is
6 “Our sewers are not designed to deal with that
dusted with a few millimetres of snow. Excessive heat,
capacity of water flowing through them,” says Nicola
like last summer’s, causes difficulties, too – but rain?
Savage, a spokeswoman for Thames Water. They are
Given our extensive experience, surely we should lead
also not designed for the way we currently treat them.
the world in rain management.
We each, personally, use far more water than ever
before. There is also “a tendency for the public to use
3 Alas, it seems not. Thousands had to be evacuated the sewers as a litter bin,” Savage adds. “People flush
over the weekend, thousands more are trapped
nappies down toilets, sanitary products, and tights.
in their homes. That’s thousands to add to those
In particular, we need to encourage people not to be
still unable to go home after floods in the north of
pouring stuff down the sink – for example, fat, oil and
England last month, which killed eight people – and
grease. The sewers were never designed to cope with
countless millions to add to a national insurance bill
this sort of material.”
eventually expected to top £2.5 billion. Evesham,
in Worcestershire, the worst-hit town this weekend,
7 Thames Water says that it is spending £323 million
experienced floods of up to five metres. And it
improving its sewers, but until recently, Ofwat [the
isn’t over yet: at the time of going to press there
economic regulator for the water and sewerage
were warnings that flood waters weren’t expected
industry in England and Wales] has been reluctant
to peak until tonight, and Oxford and Bedford and
to allow very much investment by water companies,
Gloucestershire were preparing themselves to be the
because they wanted to keep water bills down.
next major areas hit. All are entitled to ask how such
relatively short bursts of rain – just one hour in London,
8 Saul is also involved in a £5.6 million project called
somewhat longer in places such as Oxfordshire
the Flood Risk Management Research Consortium,
– could have such devastating results.

223
Going under
Level 3 Advanced

which is investigating how farmers can control the essence, anything that runs off the house should be
flow of water off land. Farmers can decrease runoff stored locally,” says Saul. Instead of going straight
if they plough across hills, rather than down them, into the sewerage system, rainwater can be collected
and strategically placed trees can help retain water. – in storage tanks under driveways, for example – and
And the more animals there are on a piece of land, used to flush toilets or run washing machines. Small
the more they pack the ground down, and the less it trenches called soakaways can be dug in gardens and
can absorb water. This leads to crop damage, which filled with stones, to trap the water and release it into
will soon be evident in our shops. And if intensively the ground a bit more slowly. Every little helps.
farmed animals get no drinking water for 48 hours,
thousands will die, which will also affect the price 10 For although what Britain has experienced over the
of food. past month is, as experts explain, a series of freak
weather events, our changing climate means that
9 The consortium is also investigating how individuals there may soon be more of them, more frequently.
can help reduce a problem that, in fact, they have Today Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire are having
helped create: by extending their houses, paving to get out the sandbags and evacuate the citizens.
driveways, building car parks – all decreasing the Tomorrow, next month, next year – who knows?
amount of soft ground to absorb water, and increasing
© Guardian News & Media 2007
the amount of runoff into drains and rivers. “In
First published in The Guardian, 24/07/07

3 Comprehension check

Re-read the text more carefully, and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

1. The flooding in Britain this summer is no worse than usual.

2. Insurance costs will be very high.
3. One reason for the floods was that a huge amount of rain fell in a very short time.
4. Victorian engineers fully anticipated the extent of population growth.
5. The public have been putting the wrong kind of material down the toilet.
6. Farmers could help prevent flooding if they ploughed their land up and down hill.
7. The price of food is likely to rise.
8. The more we build, the more likely we are to see floods in the future.

224
Going under
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary development 1

Find words in the text that mean the following. Paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. famous everywhere (sub-heading)

2. enormous destruction (sub-heading)
3. wandered by accident (para 1)
4. sudden period of heavy rainfall (para 1)
5. cause so much damage (para 1)
6. covered with very small quantities (para 2)
7. when this article was printed (para 3)
8. completely defeated (para 5)
9. ability to think ahead and anticipate future problems (para 5)
10. carefully and thoughtfully (para 8)

5 Vocabulary development 2: Expressions of quantity

The expressions of quantity on the left have all been taken from the text. See if you can match them with
the nouns they modified on the right.

1. week upon week of a. lines

2. lists of b. rain
3. up to c. what it is now
4. a sixth of d. soft ground
5. a month’s worth of e. freak weather events
6. a quarter of f. water
7. that capacity of g. five meters
8. the amount of h. what it would expect
9. a bit more i. rain
10. a series of j. slowly

Now scan the text to see how many you got right.

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6 Skills development: Referring expressions

What do each of these words refer to? Paragraph numbers are given to help you.

no. para word context refers to...

1. 1 those As for those who had to watch...
2. 1 them ... among them there was...
3. 3 thousands Thousands had to be evacuated...
4. 3 millions ... countless millions to add...
5. 3 all All are entitled to ask...
6. 5 they ... as big as they did...
7. 5 they ... they were built...
8. 8 thousands ... thousands will die...

7 Recognizing irony

The writer of this article, Aida Edemariam, sometimes uses irony for dramatic effect.

1. Find 5 examples of irony in the subheading and the first 2 paragraphs.

2. Why do you think the use of irony is concentrated only at the beginning of the article?

8 Discussion

1. Has your country experienced unusual amounts of flooding recently?

2. Has it experienced other changes in the weather?
3. Do you think such changes are probably due to global warming?
4. What measures is your government taking to help prevent global warming?
5. What measures do you think it should take?
6. What measures do you think individuals in your country should take?
7. In what ways have you changed your own behaviour to help reduce the risks?

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Texas defies federal court with execution plan
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1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

perpetrator accomplice clemency parole anomaly

conviction testimony conspiracy glitch ruling

1. ____________ is a formal statement about something that you saw, know or experienced, usually given in a

court of law.

2. A ____________ is a decision by a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime.

3. ____________ is permission for a prisoner to leave prison before the end of their sentence.

4. An ____________ is something unusual, unexpected or different from what normally happens.

5. An ____________ is someone who helps another person do something illegal or wrong.

6. A ____________ is a secret plan by a group of people to do something bad or illegal.

7. A ____________ is an official decision made by a court.

8. A ____________ is someone who does something harmful, illegal or dishonest.

9. ____________ is a decision made by someone in a position of authority not to punish someone severely.

10. A ____________ is a small and unexpected problem.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. More people are executed in Texas than in any other American state.

2. The governor of Texas often commutes death sentences to life in prison.

3. Nearly 4,000 people have been executed in Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in 1974.

4. In Texas people are executed by hanging.

5. In Texas there is no distinction between the perpetrator of a crime and his or her accomplices.

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Texas defies federal court with execution plan
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Texas defies federal court with plan to and Mr LaHood argued, and the three in the car,
execute man who did not kill 25 metres away, heard a “pop”. Brown returned
to the car and Foster drove off.
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
August 20, 2007 5 The four were arrested in connection with
Mr LaHood’s murder. Dillard was never tried
for the crime, and Steen had a deal with the
1 The state of Texas is about to execute a man for
prosecutors. The prosecutors sought the death
a crime he did not commit. While the perpetrator sentence only for Brown and Foster, and at
of the murder in San Antonio was executed last the district attorney’s request the pair were
year, Kenneth Foster, who was sitting in a car tried together. While Brown’s conviction was
25 metres away at the time of the shooting, was straightforward, Foster’s depended on Steen’s
sentenced to death under the ‘law of parties’. testimony – who had said he had had “a pretty
2 The controversial Texas law removes the good idea” of what was going to happen when
distinction between the principal actor and Brown left the car. In the trial Steen’s testimony
accomplice in a crime, and makes a person guilty was key: it showed there had been a conspiracy
if they “should have anticipated” the crime. While to commit the armed robbery. If Steen knew
a federal appeals court declared that Foster’s about it, the logic went, then so did Foster.
death sentence contained a “fundamental 6 The decision to try Brown and Foster together
constitutional defect”, a legal anomaly means harmed Foster, said his attorney. Foster, the
the state appeals court cannot overturn his bigger man, appeared the dominant figure. And
conviction, there being no new evidence. when Steen testified, his gang friends arrived to
3 After the failure this month of Foster’s most watch. The jury allegedly assumed the gang was
recent appeal, the 30-year-old African- linked to Foster; they requested and got armed
American’s final hope of avoiding execution on guards for the remainder of the trial. Brown and
August 30 rests with an appeal for clemency to Foster received death sentences in May 1997.
the Texas parole board and the Texan governor, Brown was executed by lethal injection last year.
Rick Perry. “He’s on death row because they 7 Since Foster’s conviction evidence has emerged
screwed up,” said his attorney, Keith Hampson. suggesting there was no agreement to rob Mr
“There has been a series of mistakes that has LaHood. But the basis for Foster’s appeal has
had a cascading effect. Now I’m asking the been the unconstitutionality of his punishment,
court to step in and correct their own mistake. a point made by his lawyer in a letter this month
Otherwise this guy gets executed.” to the head of the Texas parole and pardons
4 On August 14 1996 Foster and three friends were board. However, the fifth circuit court of appeals
driving around San Antonio smoking marijuana concurred with previous rulings that Foster
and robbing people at gunpoint. Foster, who should have known someone might be killed
was driving, stayed in the car while two others, that night in 1996. “Foster could not have helped
Mauriceo Brown and Julius Steen, robbed. As but anticipate the possibility that a human life
they went to the home of Dwayne Dillard, the would be taken [during] one or more of his co-
fourth person in the car, they found themselves conspirators’ armed robberies,” the court wrote. It
in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. A woman asked said he clearly displayed “reckless disregard for
why they were following her, and as she left human life”.
Brown got out of the car and followed her to the 8 Foster’s lawyer is dismayed. “We’re caught
home of her boyfriend, Michael LaHood. Brown by this procedural glitch. Every court that has

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Texas defies federal court with execution plan
Level 3 Advanced

looked at this [concludes] his execution would be 9 In Texas 398 people have been put to death
unconstitutional. It’s maddening,” Mr Hampson since capital punishment was reinstated in 1974,
said. The matter now rests with the Texas parole more than in any other state.
board, which can recommend the governor
commutes the sentence if at least five of the © Guardian News & Media 2007
seven board members agree. But Mr Perry has First published in The Guardian, 20/7/07
never commuted a death sentence, even on
such advice.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why is the forthcoming execution of Kenneth Foster for murder controversial?

a. Because the decision to try him together with Mauriceo Brown harmed his case.

b. Because he didn’t fire the gun that killed the victim.

c. Because there has been a procedural glitch.

2. Why can’t the state appeals court overturn his conviction?

a. Because only the state governor can do this.

b. Because a legal anomaly means there is no new evidence.

c. Because at least five members of the parole board have to agree.

3. Why was Foster found guilty?

a. Because he was in a car 25 metres from the scene of the crime.

b. Because he was a gang member.

c. Because, under Texas law, he should have known someone would be killed that night.

4. Why did the court decide there had been a conspiracy to murder LaHood?

a. Because if one member of the gang knew about it, logically the others did.

b. Because Brown gave evidence in court saying Foster knew about it.
c. Because the three men in the car heard a “pop”.

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4 Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. A phrasal verb meaning to make a serious mistake. (para 3)

2. A phrasal verb meaning to intervene. (para 3)

3. A present participle meaning coming quickly one after the other. (para 3)

4. A two-word expression meaning threatening someone with a gun. (para 4)

5. A verb meaning to agree. (para 7)

6. An adjective meaning not thinking about the possible bad effects of your actions. (para 7)

7. An adjective meaning very disappointed. (para 8)

8. An adjective meaning extremely annoying. (para 8)

5 Vocabulary 1: Adjective + noun collocations

Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to form collocations from
the text.

1. armed a. injection
2. legal b. disregard
3. reckless c. punishment
4. procedural d. figure
5. capital e. anomaly
6. dominant f. ruling
7. lethal g. robbery
8. previous h. glitch

6 Vocabulary 2: Phrases with prepositions

Complete the phrases from the text by filling in the gaps using prepositions.

1. distinction _______ 5. the remainder _______

2. in connection _______ 6. concur _______
3. _______ gunpoint 7. disregard _______
4. have a deal _______ someone 8. put _______ death

7 Discussion

Do you agree with the death penalty for murder or for other serious crimes? What are the arguments for
and against using the death penalty?

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Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Choose the correct answer.

1. A preposterous notion is an idea that is...

a. difficult to believe.
b. easy to believe.

2. If the government erects a statue it...

a. puts it up.
b. takes it down.

3. If you have a row with someone you...

a. quietly disagree.
b. have a noisy argument.

4. If you are barely on speaking terms with someone...

a. you aren’t speaking much.
b. you are speaking a lot.

5. Someone who is behind bars...

a. works in a restaurant.
b. lives in a prison.

6. If you boycott products from England you...

a. buy only products from England.
b. don’t buy products from England.

2 How much do you know?

1. Who was the first black president of South Africa?

2. What is the ANC?
3. Who is the current prime minister of Britain?
4. Where are the Commons, the Lords and Westminster Abbey?
5. What was apartheid?

What do all of the above have in common? Read the article quickly and find out.

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Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square
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Mandela takes his place in Parliament qualities. The project began seven years ago
Square and was dogged by rows between the mayor of
London, Ken Livingstone, who wanted the statue
Hugh Muir
sited in Trafalgar Square, and Westminster
August 30, 2007
council, which deemed it inappropriate for that
space, and between Ian Walters, the sculptor,
1 Few would have paid much attention to the who has since died, and others in the art
two young black men surveying the landscape establishment who said the statue was not good
around Parliament Square in 1962, but it was enough for display.
then that Oliver Tambo and his friend Nelson
7 When the project began, Mr Livingstone and
Mandela joked about what must have seemed
Prime Minister Gordon Brown were barely
a preposterous notion. “We hoped that one day
on speaking terms. But yesterday, as Mr
a statue of a black person would be erected
Mandela looked serenely at the dignitaries
here alongside that of the former South African
in front of him and the noisy, adoring crowd
leader General Jan Smuts,” Mr Mandela
in the middle distance, there was a harmony
recalled yesterday.
previously unthinkable.
2 Oliver Tambo never lived to see their hope come 8 Mr Livingstone said the project was the brainchild
to fruition, but as the morning sun beamed down
of Donald Woods, the journalist and anti-
yesterday, Mr Mandela returned to Parliament
apartheid activist. On the death of Mr Woods,
Square to see 7,000 people and the unveiling
responsibility passed to his widow, Wendy, and
of a statue of a black man sharing space
his friend Lord Attenborough. Though Trafalgar
with Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln,
Square was the mayor’s preference, he told
not to mention the Commons, the Lords and
Mr Mandela that there could be “no more fitting
Westminster Abbey.
place than this square which you will share with
3 Mr Mandela, now 89, accepted that the figure, the American president who freed the slaves
2.7 metres (9ft) tall and clad in a flowered shirt, and the British prime minister who led a nation
with arms outstretched, was a likeness of him. standing alone against the evil of Nazi ideology”.

4 But the former South African president and Nobel 9 Mr Brown sat to Mr Mandela’s right on the
prize winner said it spoke of something greater. podium and when he spoke it was with an
“Although this statue is of one man, it should in intensity rarely witnessed in the Commons. On
actual fact symbolize all those who have resisted behalf of Britain, he hailed “the man who will be
oppression, especially in my country,” he said. remembered forever as the leader who ended
“The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich apartheid”. The superlatives flowed quickly.
with the stories of heroes and heroines, some of “The man whom no prison cell, no intimidation,
them leaders, some of them followers. All of them no show trial, no threat of execution could ever
deserve to be remembered. We thank the British silence,” he said. “The man whose belief in the
people once again for their relentless efforts in future was so powerful that not even 27 years
supporting us during the dark years.” behind bars and barbed wire could destroy his
dream and his demand that by fighting apartheid
5 He said the statue and its siting would have from his prison cell millions today could be, and
pleased his friend, who became president of the are, free.”
ANC. “Oliver would have been proud to have
been here.” 10 Mr Brown was cheerleader and helper to Mr
Mandela, whose face is relatively youthful but
6 The mere presence of Madiba – Mr Mandela’s whose legs are now weak. The prime minister
Xhosa clan title – appears to bring healing

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Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square
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helped the guest of honour, who used a cane, Hyde Park next June. “I hope very much to be
to and from the podium. Earlier, when the cloth back in London to attend and I hope to see you
was pulled from the statue, exposing it to the there,” he said.
elements and the crowd’s gaze for the first time,
Mr Mandela applauded but remained in his seat. 12 Former Labour minister Tony Benn recalled how
Everyone else stood. in 1960 he tabled the first motion calling for a
boycott of apartheid South Africa. “If Diana was
11 His wave to the crowd seemed designed to save the people’s princess,” he said, “Nelson Mandela
energy, a slow-motion windscreen wiper action, is president of the human race.”
but his voice was comparatively strong. He
© Guardian News & Media 2007
revealed that a Live Aid-style concert for his anti-
First published in The Guardian, 30/8/07
Aids charity 46664 – named after his prisoner
number on Robben Island – would be staged at

3 Comprehension check

Decide if the sentences are True (T), False (F) or if the text doesn’t say (DS).

1. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo never believed that a statue of a black person would stand in
Parliament Square.
2. The statue in Parliament square is an exact replica of Nelson Mandela.
3. Mandela believes that the statue represents more than just himself.
4. Westminster Council didn’t approve of the statue at all.
5. Donald Woods, the man who had the idea for the statue, is black.
6. Gordon Brown praised Nelson Mandela.
7. Nelson Mandela is showing signs that he is getting older.
8. Gordon Brown is organizing an anti-AIDS concert in London.

4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context

Find words in the text that mean the following.

a. look over, examine (verb, para 1)

b. wearing (adjective, para 3)
c. never stopping (adjective, para 4)
d. not suitable (adjective, para 6)
e. clever plan or idea (noun, para 8)
f. look (noun, para 10)
g. remember (verb, para 12)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Word formation

Complete the table.

noun adjective
youth 1.
flower 2.
3. great
4. heroic
noise 5.
power 6.
7. intense
8. strong
energy 9.

6 Vocabulary 3: Compound noun puzzle

Complete the gap so that it forms a compound noun with the first element and with the last. Half of the
compound nouns are in the text.

Example: art establishment. (fine art; art establishment)

fine ___

1. clan _______ race

2. middle _______ runner

3. television _______ trial

4. prison _______ block

5. rear _______ wiper

6. human _______ horse

7 Discussion

Are there any controversial statues or monuments in your city? What famous person from history do you
think is worthy of a statue?

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Pavarotti dies aged 71
Level 3 Advanced

1 Music quiz

Match these artists with the music genre that they are most famous for and their nationality.

artist genre nationality died in aged

(year)

Luciano Pavarotti jazz American

Elvis Presley pop English

Bob Marley rock and roll American

Edith Piaf swing American

John Lennon son American

Johnny Cash opera Italian

Ibrahim Ferrer chanson American

Billie Holiday country Cuban

Frank Sinatra grunge Jamaican

Kurt Cobain reggae French

Now, in teams, try to guess the year of their death and their age when they died. One point for each
closest answer!

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then skim read the article to check
your answers.

1. Pavarotti made his professional debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
2. He once hit nine high Cs in one performance.
3. The Three Tenors were Pavarotti, Domingo and Caruso.
4. Pavarotti sang the theme tune to the 1994 World Cup.
5. Pavarotti had a number 1 album in the UK.
6. He was a personal friend of Princess Diana’s.
7. He always demanded a fully-fitted kitchen in his dressing room.
8. He raised millions of pounds for charities.

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Pavarotti dies aged 71
Level 3 Advanced
Pavarotti dies aged 71 demanded a fully-fitted kitchen to be built into his
hotel suite. He also frequently cancelled concerts
Matthew Weaver and agencies
at short notice. But he also raised millions of
September 6, 2007
pounds for good causes around the world in a
number of charity performances.
1 The Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died at
7 Domingo led the tributes to his fellow tenor. “I
his home in Modena aged 71. The tenor, who
always admired the God-given glory of his voice
helped take opera to a new mass audience, had
– that unmistakable special timbre from the
been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year
bottom up to the very top of the tenor range,” he
and underwent further treatment in August 2007.
said. “I also loved his wonderful sense of humour
2 His manager, Terri Robson, said Pavarotti died and on several occasions of our concerts with
at 5am on September 6. “The maestro fought a José Carreras we had trouble remembering
long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer that we were giving a concert before a paying
which eventually took his life. In fitting with the audience, because we had so much fun between
approach that characterized his life and work, he ourselves.”
remained positive until finally succumbing to the
8 The British tenor Russell Watson told GMTV that
last stages of his illness,” Mr Robson said in a
Pavarotti was “without question” the man who
statement.
brought opera to the people. “The World Cup was
3 Pavarotti was considered by some critics to have the Three Tenors with Pavarotti at the helm, with
been the greatest tenor since Enrico Caruso. He a very entertaining version of Nessun Dorma, in
made his professional debut in 1961, as Rodolfo fact, it’s now called ‘Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma’,”
in Puccini’s La Boheme at the opera house in Watson said. “His voice was so distinctive you
Reggio Emilia. His most celebrated performance only needed to listen to a couple of bars and you
came at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House knew it was him, he had incredible power and
where he hit nine high Cs in Donizetti’s La fille du control.”
regiment.
9 Fellow tenor Ian Bostridge concurred. “He was
4 But Pavarotti reached a new global audience an old-fashioned star”, he said. “Vocally he was
during the 1990 football World Cup when his the best – he had one of those voices that comes
interpretation of the Puccini aria Nessun Dorma along only every 20 years or so. “It was intelligent
was chosen as the tournament’s theme tune. It too: people talk about a difference between
became an international hit. Later the Essential singing the words and singing the music, but for
Pavarotti became the first classical album to him they were the same.”
reach number 1 in the UK charts.
10 In a statement, the Royal Opera House said:
5 The 1990 World Cup also saw the first of the “He was one of those rare artists who affected
hugely popular Three Tenor concerts that the lives of people across the globe in all walks
Pavarotti performed with Placido Domingo and of life. He introduced the extraordinary power of
José Carreras. His most high-profile performance opera to people who perhaps would never have
in Britain was the Pavarotti in the Park concert encountered opera and classical singing [and] in
in a rain-sodden Hyde Park in 1991. His friend, doing so he enriched their lives. That will be his
Diana, Princess of Wales, was in the front row. legacy.”

6 Like many opera stars, Pavarotti also had a 11 Pavarotti gave farewell performances at the
reputation for exacting standards. At a Royal Royal Opera House in January 2002 when he
Variety performance in Edinburgh he reportedly sang in Tosca, despite the death of his mother in
the final stages of rehearsals.

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“The applause on those evenings was probably
the most moving and heartfelt in the history
of the Royal Opera,” the statement said. “He
had a unique ability to touch people with the
emotional and brilliant quality of his voice. He
was a man with the common touch and the
most extraordinary gift. He will be truly missed
by millions.”

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 6/9/07

3 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences with an appropriate word from the text.

1. Doctors ________________ you when they find out what is wrong with you.

2. When you lose your ability or will to fight something, you ________________ to it.

3. Your ________________ is the (good or bad) opinion people have of you.

4. A ________________ is a non-profit making organization that usually helps others.

5. When somebody is at the ________________, it means they are in charge, or the leader.

6. When we meet or see someone or something for the first time, we ________________ them or it.

7. Something that someone has achieved that continues to exist after they stop working or die is called
a ________________.

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the article. Then use
the collocations to re-tell the article to your partner.

long, tough audience

greatest ability
celebrated park
global performance
rain-sodden voice
fully-fitted battle
distinctive applause
heartfelt gift
unique kitchen

extraordinary tenor

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5 Grammar: Third conditional

1. Tick the correct answer(s).

We use the 3rd conditional to:

Speculate about past events.

To negotiate.
To express reproach and regret.
Talk about things that may happen in the future.

2. Which deceased artist would you have liked to have seen performing live? Write your answer using the
third conditional. Compare your answer with others in your group and say why.

6 Discussion: Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a popular radio programme in the UK where guest speakers are asked to nominate
the music they would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island.

Imagine you are going to be a guest on the programme. Write down your top five music choices:

1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________

4. ___________________________________

5. ___________________________________

Now walk around your class and try to find at least one person who has a similar taste in music to you. Sit
with that person / those people and have a chat about music.

7 Webquest

Go to www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/sep/06/pavarotti?picture=330690212 to see photos of

Pavarotti’s life. You can also watch videos and listen to him singing by going to www.youtube.com and
typing Pavarotti in the search box.

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Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

stunning vault furious mere forthcoming

quandary legendary supposedly accurate gem

1. If you are in a ________________, you are uncertain about what decision to take.

2. A ________________ is a strongly protected room in a bank where money, gold and other valuables are kept.

3. ________________ can mean very angry but in the context of this story it means done with a lot of energy

and enthusiasm.

4. If news is ________________, it is extremely surprising, perhaps even shocking.

5. A ________________ is a beautiful, expensive stone that is used to make jewellery.

6. If something is ________________, it is correct or true in every detail.

7. ________________ means as some people believe or say, although you may not agree with this.

8. The word ________________ is used to emphasize that something is small or unimportant.

9. If something is ________________, it is extremely famous or well-known.

10. If something is ________________, it is provided or available when needed or asked for.

2 What do you know?

Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. The world’s largest ever diamond has recently been discovered in South America.
2. The Cullinan diamond was discovered near Pretoria in South Africa.
3. The world’s previous largest gem-quality rough diamond was the Koh-i-Noor.
4. The Koh-i-Noor diamond is part of the British crown jewels.
5. The Koh-i-Noor originated in India.
6. The value of diamonds is measured in carats.

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Miners unearth world’s 5 The Cartier diamond, famous as a gift from

biggest diamond Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, weighed a
mere 240.80 carats rough and 69.42 carats cut.
David Beresford in Johannesburg and
Mr Cuellar said the most important information
Lee Glendinning
about the latest find was yet to be forthcoming,
August 28, 2007
including whether it is colourless. “The reported
size of the stone is accurate, but there are all
1 The world’s biggest diamond, believed to
these other factors we still don’t know and what
be twice the size of the Cullinan, has been
matters now is how wide, how clear and how well
discovered in the North-West Province of South
cut it will be.
Africa. The find has electrified the diamond
community, but the circumstances of the 6 Mr Cuellar continued: “Will this diamond rank
discovery are shrouded in mystery. The diamond above the best quality diamonds in the world? I
is expected to attract furious bidding from buyers can tell you right now, no. But in as far as the list
worldwide and could fetch up to £15 million. of the largest diamonds ever found in the world
goes, would it make that list? Yes it would.” He
2 A spokesman for the mining house which made
said the first seven people who looked at the
yesterday’s find, Brett Joli, said the diamond was
stone thought it was industrial grade, but that
being rushed to a bank vault in Johannesburg
view has changed and it now appears to be a
and would be kept there for a couple of days
stone that will be cut into a piece of jewellery.
“until we calm down and decide what we are
going to do”. A security company was being 7 The quandary facing the owner of the diamond
hired to protect the precious stone. The mining now is how best to cut the stone he said. “The
company which made the find has not been thinking usually is with these types of things, we
identified. The South Africa Broadcasting know how big we could get it but we don’t know
Corporation said the stone was said to be twice how much it will hurt us on the quality side.” The
the size of the Cullinan diamond. Cullinan, also known as the Star of Africa, was
thought by some to be part of a larger stone
3 Fred Cuellar, the founder of Diamond Cutters
which still lies somewhere undiscovered.
International and author of How to Buy a
Diamond, said he first heard about the find a few 8 There will be interest in who made the find
days ago. “I get a phone call when any rare stone and how they will be rewarded. The miner who
around the world is found and when I heard discovered the Excelsior, said to be the second
about this one it was stunning news. It caught largest uncut diamond ever found, received a
everybody in the diamond industry offside. There horse and saddle, and a sum of money.
will be a lot of mad bidding from a lot of private
individuals wanting to buy this stone.” 9 The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905
and at 3,106 carats was the largest gem-quality
4 The Cullinan, which was found near Pretoria rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the
more than a century ago, was until recently Great Star of Africa – at 530 carats formerly the
acknowledged to be the largest cut diamond largest cut diamond – was one of the 105 gems
in the world, weighing 530.20 carats. In 1985 cut from it. The Koh-i-noor is part of the British
it lost the record to the Golden Jubilee, which crown jewels. It originated in India but was seized
was found in the same mine as the Cullinan and by Britain as a spoil of war in 1849. The diamond
weighed 545.67 carats. In its rough state the supposedly brings good luck to female owners
Cullinan weighed 3,106.75 carats. It now forms and misfortune or death to any male who wears
part of King Edward’s sceptre and is in the Tower or owns it. The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52
of London.

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Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond
Level 3 Advanced
carat), deep blue diamond. It is legendary for the
curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses
it. Previous owners include Kings Louis XV and
XVI and Marie Antoinette.

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 28/8/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Which of these best describes the reaction of 3. The newly discovered diamond is…
people in the diamond industry to the news of a. … the best quality diamond ever found.
the discovery?
b. … the largest diamond ever found.
a. They were absolutely flabbergasted.
c. … the most valuable diamond ever found.
b. They were furious.
c. They were in a quandary.
4. The newly discovered diamond is being kept in a
bank vault until…
2. The Cartier diamond… a. … the mining house which owns it decides what
a. … was bigger than the Cullinan diamond. to do.
b. … was the largest diamond ever found. b. … its value is determined.
c. … was less than half the weight of the Golden c. … experts decide how best to cut it.
Jubilee diamond.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the words or expressions that mean the following.

1. A verb meaning to make people extremely excited. (para 1)

2. A three-word expression meaning surrounded by unknown factors. (para 1)
3. A three-word expression meaning to take everybody by surprise. (para 3)
4. A gerund meaning the process of trying to buy something at an auction. (para 3)
5. A verb meaning to accept or admit that something is true or exists. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning a decorated stick that a king or queen carries at ceremonies. (para 4)
7. A three-word expression meaning the benefits gained after winning a battle. (para 9)
8. A noun meaning a bad situation or event caused by someone’s deliberate use of their magical powers. (para 9)

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Level 3 Advanced

5 Vocabulary 2: Reformulation

Complete these sentences about the text using the correct form of the word in brackets.

1. It is widely believed that the Cullinan was part of a larger stone that remains ____________. [DISCOVER]

2. The circumstances of the ____________ have still not been fully explained. [DISCOVER]

3. The Koh-i-Noor diamond _____________ brings bad luck to any male who wears or owns it. [SUPPOSE]

4. The diamond is expected to attract a large number of ____________. [BID]

5. The ____________ of the reported size of the stone is not in doubt. [ACCURATE]

6. The person who discovered the stone remains ____________. [IDENTIFY]

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.

1. bank a. diamond
2. security b. news
3. diamond c. grade
4. private d. industry
5. stunning e. state
6. rough f. vault
7. industrial g. individual
8. uncut h. company

7 Discussion

Is the price of diamonds and other precious stones artificially high? Should the price of natural products
be controlled or should the market decide how much they are worth?

242
What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these key words from the article with their meanings. What do you think the article might be about?

1. civic responsibility a. an argument

2. treats b. superficial, only on the surface, not deep

3. ordinance c. the duties of a citizen

4. squabble d. refers to the constituents of food and how they affect your health

5. tackle (an obesity epidemic) e. something special that you do or buy for yourself or others

6. nutritional (content) f. people who put their name on a document

7. (a) frank (admission) g. to completely accept something

8. to embrace (healthier options) h. to make an attempt to deal with something

9. cosmetic i. an adjective meaning obvious

10. revenue j. an adjective meaning honest

11. signatories k. an official order, like a rule or a law

12. pledge l. income from business activities

13. blatantly (incorrect) m. a promise

2 Organizations and official bodies

Skim-read the text and find the names of four organizations or official bodies. Write them below.

1. _____________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________

Briefly discuss what they might do or who might be a member of them.

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What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced
What’s in the Big Apple? buy food in a restaurant, you have no idea what
For every salad, McDonald’s sells eight double the nutritional content is,” says Dr Bassett.
cheeseburgers.
7 Most people realize that a large portion of fries
Andrew Clark in New York
is unhealthy – but the issue is far more subtle,
September 13, 2007
argues Dr Bassett: “I don’t think many people
would guess that somebody who walks into
1 Even by the standards of America’s junk food
McDonald’s and eats a deluxe breakfast has
industry, a recent court case marked a low point
eaten nearly all their recommended calorie intake
in civic responsibility. A coalition of deep-fat-frying
for the day.”
restaurants in New York persuaded a judge that
they shouldn’t have to disclose the number of
8 However, the big fast food chains complained
calories in their meals on in-store menu boards.
that it is costly and unfair – and that they already
provide plenty of information on their websites.
2 Judge Richard Holwell ruled that New York’s
Chuck Hunt, a spokesman for the New York
Board of Health was overstepping its authoity
State Restaurant Association, says: “The proper
in requiring larger restaurant chains to write
way to address this is through education, not
calorie figures alongside prices for treats such
through regulation.”
as a McDonald’s Big Mac meal (1,430 calories)
or Burger King’s triple Whopper with cheese
9 The industry argues that calories are merely one
(1,230 calories).
of many measures of how healthy food is. Putting
them on a menu, says the association, will only
3 The judge said the city ordinance was unfair
“confuse” people.
because it only affects restaurants which already
have calorie information available somewhere
10 This is an unusually frank admission from the
– be it on their websites, on food wrappers or
industry which has been trying hard to present
on the underside of tray linings. Of New York’s
a caring, sharing image. Salads, shakes, milk
23,000 restaurants, only 2,375 were to be
and fruity nibbles have appeared on menus
included in the law.
traditionally devoted to meat and potato. Just last
week, Burger King announced it was launching
4 The squabble arose over the city’s latest effort to
‘apple fries’ – slices of apple cut to look like chips
tackle an obesity epidemic which is worse in New
– in an effort to persuade young customers to
York than in the rest of America. More than half
embrace healthier options.
of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight and
a third are clinically obese. Among children, US
11 Many of these changes, however, are cosmetic.
obesity levels have tripled since the 1970s.
For every salad they sell, McDonald’s sells eight
double cheeseburgers. Less than a tenth of
5 Mary Bassett, New York’s deputy commissioner
revenue comes from healthier options.
for health promotion and disease prevention,
says Americans consume nearly 50% of their
12 A few chains are taking responsibility. Subway,
food outside the home. Huge helpings, high salt
which predominantly sells fresh sandwiches,
content and fatty ingredients mean that the
has decided to display calories on its menus. Its
average calorie intake in restaurants is far higher
spokesman, Les Winograd, says it was to the
than in home-cooked food.
firm’s advantage: “We look at it as an extension
of something we were already providing.
6 “When people shop in supermarkets, they can We have a reputation for offering healthier
see a nutritional fact panel on the packaging
alternatives to traditional, fatty fast food.”
which tells them what they’re getting. When you

244
What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced

13 Responding to pressure, the industry has about calories – how many you take in and how
moved back from marketing the worst of its many you burn. For them to say that’s not key
food to children. The Council of Better Business information is blatantly incorrect.”
Bureaus has asked companies to stop targeting
under-12s with promotions for high-fat foods 15 He urges the big chains to be pro-active in
or for anything failing to meet strict nutritional changing Americans’ diets and in helping
standards. Burger King, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, consumers to make better choices: “The
McDonald’s, Kellogg’s and Kraft are among restaurant industry makes a number of false,
the signatories. The pledge should change an weak arguments. They say [calorie advertising]
environment in which children see an average won’t solve the obesity problem and that’s true.
of 21 ads a day for sweets, snacks, cereals and But nothing, by itself, will solve the entirety of the
fast food. obesity problem.”

14 Experts say the industry’s court action this week © Guardian News & Media 2007
First published in The Guardian, 13/9/07
cancels out such positive action. Kelly Brownell,
director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and
Obesity at Yale University, says: “Obesity is all

3 Comprehension check

1. Which sentence best describes the court case in the article?

a. Restaurants went to court to stop them having to publicize the number of calories in their food.
b. New York’s Board of Health went to court to stop restaurants selling food with high calorie content.
c. The judge brought both parties to court to stop them squabbling.

2. The judge said that:

a. Fast food restaurants should display the calorie content of their food on websites.
b. Fast food restaurants needn’t display the calorie content of their food on websites.
c. 2,375 of the 23,000 restaurants in New York cause obesity.

3. People often don’t realize how many calories are in food because…
a. … the information on nutritional fact panels is often incorrect.
b. … they eat outside the home and so don’t know what ingredients the meal contains.
c. … the food is not regulated.

4. Subway has decided to display the calories on its menus because…

a. … they say it will solve New York’s obesity problem.
b. … it confirms that they sell healthier alternatives to burgers.
c. … the judge ruled that they should do so.

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What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Lexical fields

Find words or phrases in the article that belong to the following lexical fields and write them in the spider-
grams.

weight and
legal terms
health issues

5 Discussion

In small groups, think of six local or national food and drink specialities from your country. What
ingredients do they contain and how are they prepared?

Decide in your group which ones have the most and which have the least calories. Rank them from one to
six and give feedback to the class.

6 Webquest

Which contains the most calories: a banana, an avocado or a mango? Use an online calorie counter
such as the one at www.fitandtrim.co.uk/caloriecounter.html to find out. Here you can also learn about
recommended daily calorie intakes.

246
The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1: What do you already know about the story?

Have you heard anything about a little girl called Madeleine McCann? If so, decide which of these
statements about her story are True (T) or False (F).

1. Madeleine disappeared while her family were on holiday in Spain.

2. Madeleine’s parents have no other children.

3. The police in Portugal think Mrs McCann may have killed her daughter.

4. They think a bloodstain in the McCann’s own car is significant.

5. They do not think her husband was involved.

6. Mr and Mrs McCann believe their daughter is still alive.

2 Pre-reading 2: Key words

Match these key words from the text with the definitions below.

toddlers presumed strain tributes

allege bail conditions accomplice shattered

1. ____________ – someone who helps someone else commit a crime

2. ____________ – believed to be true, but not yet proved

3. ____________ – restrictions on the temporary freedom given to somebody who is

suspected of committing a crime

4. ____________ – tension, stress

5. ____________ – extremely tired (and sometimes very upset)

6. ____________ – to say that someone is guilty before it has been proved

7. ____________ – things people say or give to show their sympathy and admiration

8. ____________ – very small children who are just learning to walk

Now read the story quickly to check your answers to the questions in 1 and 2.

247
The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced

Exhausted and under suspicion, 8 Their journey home began as a grey dawn broke
Madeleine’s family come home shortly after 7am, and Mr and Mrs McCann emerged
hand-in-hand from the borrowed villa in Praia da Luz
Esther Addley where they have been living since July.
Monday September 10, 2007
9 With the twins already inside, they climbed into
their rented silver Renault Scenic – the vehicle in
1 It has been a long journey home for Gerry and which police allege a trace of Madeleine’s blood was
Kate McCann, but shortly after 1pm yesterday, discovered, although it was not hired by the couple
135 days after they had left their home in Rothley, until 25 days after her disappearance.
Leicestershire, the couple lifted their twin toddlers out
of a police people-carrier and shut their front door. 10 Forty minutes later, pursued by a dozen cars and
motorbikes carrying journalists, one of them standing
2 Having left home on April 27 as mother of an “ordinary to film through the car sunroof while being driven at
family of five”, Kate McCann has said repeatedly 80mph, they arrived at Faro airport. Mr McCann drove
that she could not contemplate coming back as into a reserved area normally used by politicians and
four, without their daughter Madeleine. In fact, their VIPs, and they were ushered through check-in to the
homecoming was even more painful: they returned as departure lounge.
suspects in their own daughter’s presumed death.
11 A number of reporters accompanied them on their
3 The strain was apparent in their faces as the couple easyJet flight to East Midlands airport, on which the
emerged from the vehicle. Mrs McCann carried her first two rows of seats were reserved for the family.
two-year-old daughter, Amelie, still clasping the pink At about 12.30pm they landed, to be met by yet more
cuddly cat belonging to Madeleine that she has hardly film crews.
put down since her daughter disappeared. Mr McCann
held their other twin, Sean, in his arms. 12 Emerging from the airport, a clearly emotional Mr
McCann read a brief statement, his son still asleep,
4 They were accompanied into their smart, new, slumped over his shoulder. Mr McCann thanked those
redbrick house, where they have lived for a year, by who had supported the couple during the four months
a police officer, watched by a crowd of reporters and since Madeleine’s disappearance, and said he and
TV crews, while helicopters from news organizations his wife were returning only after “careful thought”
clattered overhead. and with the agreement of the Portuguese police. No
bail conditions are attached to their arguido (suspect)
5 Neighbours in the quiet road stayed resolutely behind status, and they retain their passports.
doors, but a small group of onlookers had gathered
at the end of the street on the outskirts of the pretty 13 “Whilst it is heartbreaking to return to the UK without
village just north of Leicester. Madeleine, it does not mean we are giving up our
search for her,” Mr McCann said. “As parents, we
6 Rothley had seen enthusiastic support for the couple in cannot give up on our daughter until we know what
the weeks following Madeleine’s disappearance, with has happened.” He also made a plea for the family’s
hundreds of bunches of flowers and yellow ribbons privacy to be respected, saying: “We want the twins
being attached to its small war memorial. Those as much as is reasonably possible to live an ordinary
tributes were removed some time ago, though some life in their home country and want to consider the
ribbons remain in the local pub. events of the last few days which have been so
deeply disturbing.”
7 Mr and Mrs McCann have been planning for some
time to return yesterday, and had already sent some 14 In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, Mr McCann
possessions home. Their change in status meant that had said that he and his wife, who police appear to
much of the previous day was spent in calls to the allege was primarily involved in Madeleine’s presumed
Portuguese authorities and consular officials to clear death with her husband as an accomplice, were
their trip. Downing Street had also been informed. “fighting for [their] lives” to clear their names.

248
The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced

15 “We thought we were in our worst nightmare but now 19 “Kate and Gerry are just happy to be back at home.
it just keeps getting worse and worse. We did not kill They have been through three or four of the most
our daughter. We will clear our name and we will not difficult days in their lives. They are tired, very tired. If
give up on Madeleine,” he told the News of the World. it was me, I would be absolutely shattered.”

16 Ten minutes after the couple’s arrival back home, 20 Asked if the couple had plans to return to work – Mr
Mrs McCann’s uncle Brian Kennedy, who is chair of McCann as a cardiac surgeon, his wife as a GP – Mr
the campaign to raise awareness about Madeleine’s Kennedy said: “I don’t know. I don’t think they’ll be
disappearance, emerged and spoke briefly to thinking about that for a while yet.”
reporters. He thanked the media, whose members
were gathered two-deep behind the neat hedge, for 21 Behind him, on one of the downstairs windowsills,
being “sympathetic and [behaving] so appropriately”, was a pile of cuddly toys. The curtains to the upstairs
adding that Mr and Mrs McCann would not be bedrooms, including Madeleine’s, painted shocking
emerging from the house for the rest of the day. pink at her request, were drawn.

17 “Gerry made his statement at the airport and that is all 22 A family friend said the room had been left as it was,
he is going to say today,” Mr Kennedy said. “You can “ready for her to come home”.
imagine how they feel – Kate has not been back to
this house since the whole terrible affair started.”
© Guardian News & Media 2007
18 “They need to stay in and settle down and try to start a First published in The Guardian, 10/9/07
normal life, or one with some appearance of normality
in it.

3 Comprehension check

1. Why is the McCann’s return even worse than solely coming back without their daughter?
2. Are the people who live near the McCanns supporting them?
3. How did the press respect the McCanns’ privacy when they returned home?
4. In what ways are they being intrusive?
5. Are the McCanns professional people?

249
The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary development
Find words in the text that mean the following.

1. ____________ – a large vehicle that can hold more people than a usual car (para 1)
2. ____________ – came out (of) (para 3)
3. ____________ – soft and nice to hold (para 3)
4. ____________ – made a lot of noise (para 4)
5. ____________ – deliberately; they decided to, and didn’t change their minds (para 5)
6. ____________ – collected, came together (para 5)
7. ____________ – very small quantity of (para 9)
8. ____________ – followed, chased (para 10)
9. ____________ – led ( in a formal way) (para 10)
10. ____________ – lying in a very relaxed way (para 12)
11. ____________ – very serious request (para 13)
12. ____________ – leader, head (of an organization, meeting, etc) (para 16)

5 Discussion

1. How has the press in your country responded to the story about Madeleine?

2. Why do you think the case has received so much media attention?

250
Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

priceless struggling piracy prominence uproar

eagerly fanbase hoax self-indulgence bypass

1. _______________ is the practice of allowing yourself to do something special that you like very much.

2. If you gain _______________ in a particular field, you become important or well-known within that field.

3. A _______________ is a trick in which someone deliberately tells people that something will happen or that

something is true when it is not.

4. The _______________ of a pop group or a sports team is the total number of fans they have around the world.

5. If a company is _______________, it is experiencing financial problems.

6. If something causes _______________, it provokes angry public criticism.

7. If you _______________ someone or something, you avoid dealing with them.

8. _______________ is the practice of making and selling illegal copies of CDs, DVDs and so on.

9. A _______________ commodity is extremely valuable and impossible to replace.

10. If you do something _______________, you do it with a great deal of enthusiasm or excitement.

2 What do you know?

Do you think these statements are True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. The British rock group Radiohead are planning to give away their new album for free.

2. Prince recently gave his latest album away free with a British newspaper.

3. The music download service iTunes sells albums not individual tracks.

4. Sales of CDs are falling while sales of music merchandise are increasing.

5. Paul McCartney signed a deal with Starbucks.

6. Digital piracy is only having a small impact on the music industry.

251
Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced

Radiohead’s bid to revive music said they would give their new single and album
industry: pay what you like to away for nothing through a radio station. “Why
download albums would you volunteer to join the army for 10 years
unless you had no choice? Record companies
Owen Gibson, media correspondent are a kind of army – very regulated,” said
Tuesday October 2, 2007 Creation Records founder Alan McGee, who
manages the Charlatans. He continued: “Whilst
live music and merchandise sales are booming,
1 Their music has long been praised for blurring
physical sales are steadily decreasing with
boundaries and breaking moulds. Now
more and more fans simply burning tracks from
Radiohead are hoping to establish a new model
friends or free download sites. The band will get
for the struggling record industry by inviting
paid more by more people coming to the gigs,
music buyers to decide how much they want to
buying merchandise, publishing and synch fees. I
pay for their new album. To their biggest fans,
believe it’s the future business model.”
eagerly awaiting their first studio album for four
years, it is near priceless. Those who believe 5 But Nicola Slade, editor of the music industry
Radiohead long ago descended into self- newsletter Record of the Day, sounded a note
indulgence may only risk pennies. But thanks to of caution, speculating that not all bands could
this ground-breaking experiment, the band will go it alone in similar fashion or afford to give
bypass record labels altogether and will be able their music away. “I’m all in favour of sticking it to
to put a fiscal value on the public’s appreciation the man, but you have to remember that Prince
of their art. and Radiohead have had the benefit of years of
record company investment and they wouldn’t be
2 The release was announced with a short
where they are without it,” she said.
message from guitarist Jonny Greenwood on the
band’s website, revealing that the new album, In 6 A spokesman for Radiohead said one motivation
Rainbows, would be available to download from behind the new model was to get the album
October 10. Orders started rolling in yesterday, out to fans more quickly than the usual three
with customers able to decide how much to pay to six month lead time required by record
– from nothing (plus a 45p administration charge) labels. Diehard fans are also being offered the
upwards. Radiohead’s ‘honesty box’ experiment opportunity to spend £40 on a physical ‘discbox’
will be closely watched by other artists, their version of the album. After downloading In
record labels and management companies. Rainbows next week, in December these fans
will be sent a deluxe box containing the album
3 In Rainbows is the most high-profile attempt
on CD and two vinyl records, as well as a
yet to restructure the economics of a music
second CD containing more new songs, digital
industry struggling with the effects of digital
photographs, artwork and a hardback book.
piracy. Despite a booming live scene, CD sales
are less profitable than ever thanks to increased 7 Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the obsessive
competition and piracy. With the role of the nature of the fanbase, on the first day on sale it
Internet in helping new acts rise to prominence appeared more people had shelled out for the
already well documented, more established box set than had ordered the variably priced
artists are attempting to revolutionize the way download. Since parting company with their
music is sold. record label EMI and insisting that in future
4 Prince caused uproar among music retailers they would only sign one-off deals, a string of
rumours has surrounded the release of the
by giving his latest album away with a British
latest Radiohead album. One website counting
Sunday newspaper and yesterday the Charlatans
down to the new album was dismissed as a

252
Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced

hoax, while the band’s management were also resolutely refused to make their music available
forced to deny rumours that they were due to to the market leader, iTunes, because the
follow Paul McCartney’s lead and sign a deal Apple service insists on selling individual tracks
with Starbucks. and Radiohead wanted to sell their albums as
complete works.
8 It was only recently that Radiohead’s back
catalogue, including The Bends and the highly- © Guardian News & Media 2007
praised OK Computer, were made available First published in The Guardian, 02/10/07
digitally thanks to a deal between EMI and
the download service 7Digital. The band had

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why are CDs less profitable than ever?

a. Because artists like Prince are giving them away free.

b. Because of increased competition and piracy.
c. Because people are buying merchandise instead.

2. Why do the Charlatans want to give their new single and album away for nothing?

a. Because they don’t like the three to six month lead time record companies require.
b. Because they want their music to be played by radio stations.
c. Because they want to avoid using record companies which they believe are very regulated.

3. In the article, Radiohead are described as ‘blurring boundaries’, ‘breaking moulds’ and taking part in a
‘ground-breaking experiment’. Which of these best describes Radiohead?

a. They want to make as much money as possible from their new album.
b. They enjoy ‘sticking it to the man’.
c. They enjoy being different and innovative.

4. What has the response of diehard Radiohead fans been to the possibility of buying the new album for
as little as 45p?

a. Millions of them have downloaded it.

b. More of them have ordered the £40 box set than the digital download.
c. They have dismissed the new album as a hoax.
D
TE DE

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Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions:

1. A verb + noun collocation meaning to make the distinction between two things unclear. (para 1)
2. A verb + noun collocation meaning to change a situation by doing something very different from what
is usually done. (para 1)
3. An adjective meaning relating to money and financial matters. (para 1)
4. A noun meaning a person or company selling directly to the public. (para 4)
5. A five-word expression meaning give a warning. (para 5)
6. A two-word expression meaning the time between planning something and starting to do it. (para 6)
7. An adjective meaning extremely loyal and refusing to change. (para 6)
8. An adjective meaning not thinking about anything else. (para 7)

5 Vocabulary 2: Colloquial language

Match the words and expressions on the left with the definitions on the right.

1. gig a. copying CDs from the Internet

2. shell out b. do something independently
3. roll in c. royalty payments agreed by contract
4. sticking it to the man d. a live performance by a musician or musical group
5. a one-off deal e. spend a lot of money
6. go it alone f. arrive in large amounts
7. burning g. rebelling against authority
8. synch fees h. an arrangement that only happens once

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Match the verbs on the left and nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.

1. part a. merchandise
2. cause b. the opportunity (to do something)
3. join c. a deal
4. have d. the army
5. buy e. no choice
6. offer f. company
7. sign g. a rumour
8. deny h. uproar

7 Discussion

What do you think the future of the music industry is? Will the Internet revolutionize music sales as we
know them? Are CDs a thing of the past, like vinyl records and cassettes? Do you prefer downloading
music to an electronic machine or having a physical CD in your hand?

254
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1

Tick üthe boxes that are correct for you and compare your answers with a partner.
I often use emoticons in my electronic communication.

Emoticons are useful for conveying how the writer feels.

Emoticons are useful in chat rooms, when writing personal emails and when sending text messages.

People who use emoticons aren’t serious.

I dislike emoticons.

What are emoticons?

2 Pre-reading 2

Match these emoticons, and the expressions from the article, with their meanings.

}:-( I’m wearing glasses

;-) I’m undecided

8-) I’m married

0:-) Your toupee is blowing in the wind

:-)(-: I’m only joking!

:-\ The writer just made a sweet or innocent remark

1. up to scratch a. waste no time on unnecessary matters

2. risk unintentional pain and embarrassment b. need for something to make it all better and easier

3. no pause for revision c. good enough / reaches the expectations

4. to crave the soothing balm of… d. there is a danger of hurting someone or making
yourself look like a fool

5. get straight down to business e. no checking or correcting

255
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced

Emoticons, emails and letter writing words and sentences with no pause for revision,
Simon Jenkins let alone perfection. As soon as they are on
September 21, 2007 screen they acquire validity. Over them hovers
the dreaded send button, itching to be pressed
Have emails made us into unemotional
– ‘send’ is always pressed too soon.
machines?
6 There is no wait for the post to go, no time to
1 The emoticon is 25 years old. In 1982, a
correct what is written. Nor is there any certainty
Pittsburgh professor, Scott Fahlman, noted
that an email has arrived, just the plaintive call:
that the electronic mail of his students lacked
“Did you get my email ... why didn’t you reply?”
the necessary body language and voice tones
All is then regret. I should have read it through
to express greetings and humour. The smiley
one more time. Hardly surprising then that we
was born, and with it a large lexicon of symbols
crave the soothing balm of the emoticon.
intended to insert normal human emotion into
the frigid alphabet. A–Z might have sufficed for
7 How on earth did we manage before? Somehow
Shakespeare, Milton, Keats and Shelley, but for
we communicated love, hurt, remorse, anger and
today’s global nerd it is not up to scratch.
joy under the bountiful guidance of the Oxford
English Dictionary. We used quill, pen, pencil,
Early telegraphy had its own short forms and
ballpoint, even typewriter, and if anything went
icons. Users realized that abbreviated language
wrong we had the telephone as backup. But why
risked unintentional pain and embarrassment.
is email so lacking in feeling that it requires its
Hence an apparently sarcastic or abrupt remark
2 might be softened by a simple symbol. The result own additional alphabet? How much sincerity
really is conveyed by J ?
was not just smileys but frownies and various
signs of perplexity, love, anger and surprise.
8 The authors of a book on ‘netiquette’ come
straight to the point: “On email people aren’t
3 There are 16 pages of emoticons in Andrew
quite themselves ... they are angrier, less
John’s Txtr’s A–Z – my favourite being }:-( for
sympathetic, less aware, more easily wounded,
‘your toupee is blowing in the wind’. An indication
even more gossipy and duplicitous.” Some have
of the keyboard’s evolution is that many
even wrecked their marriages, lost their jobs and
computers automatically convert the frownie into
ended up in jail.
L J L
. In other words, and have become
formal symbols in the Internet lexicon.
9 Many of us do not know how to handle email. Do
we start Dear Sir or Hi gorgeous, or get straight
4 I confess to seeing the problem. I have seldom
down to business? Do we cover the screen with
sent a personal email or text message which I
capitals, exclamation marks and emoticons in a
have not afterwards, to some degree, regretted.
desperate effort to convey attitude? Do we sign
The old-fashioned pen slowed the transition from
off with Yours sincerely, Kind regards or Byeee!?
spoken word (and intended meaning) to script.
Even such simple words as please, thank you
It gave time for consideration, as did the manual
and sorry have a hundred subtle meanings
typewriter. Writing involved effort. A word was
when voiced but are toneless when lying flat on
pondered before being put to paper, packaged
the screen.
and sent through the post.
10 The truth is that, for other than routine messages
5 In comparison, the computer keyboard is an
and acknowledgements, email has become an
invisible piano on which we play instantly and
inadequate substitute for both the telephone and
extempore. First thoughts race into fully-formed

256
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced
the letter. Compared to the telephone, email is sincerity to another human being should
a distancing device. It not only eliminates tone telephone and, if necessary, leave a
of voice, it prevents interruption or response. It voice message.
is a one-way conversation, a monologue, with
all the rudeness that can imply. Compared to 12 Better still, clear your desk, take out a crisp
a letter, email has more immediacy but carries sheet of note paper, pick up a pen and do
none of the humanity, not to mention courtesy, something you may not have done for ages.
of handwriting. Write a proper letter, rewriting it if necessary.
The recipient will be amazed and delighted that
11 Emails ought to carry a health warning at the you have taken the time. You will have written
top: ‘This note may unintentionally mislead or what you meant to say, and I bet you won’t have
upset you; if in doubt reply by phone or consult a used emoticons.
counsellor.’ Emails are bad at conveying humour
or criticism, bad news or sympathy. The form © Guardian News & Media 2007
is too cold. Those who wish to communicate First published in The Guardian, 21/9/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. The emoticon was invented by… 5. There are…

a. … the poet, Milton. a. … strict guidelines on how to begin and end

b. … a university professor. an email.
c. … an American student. b. … strict rules about using punctuation and capital
letters in emails.
2. What are emoticons supposed to put into emails? c. … a myriad of ways to begin and end an email.
a. Pain and embarrassment.
b. Greetings and humour. 6. The author thinks that emails are…
c. Human emotion. a. … not as effective as letters.
3. The author believes it is better to… b. … an improvement on letter writing.
c. … a better way to get hold of someone than
a. … write slowly. by telephone.
b. … think before you send your email.
c. … use a manual typewriter.

4. According to the article, many of us...

a. … take on too much work these days.

b. … take on different personalities when we
write emails.
c. … always make follow up phone calls after
sending emails.

257
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations from the text.

abrupt guidance
Internet conversation
fully-formed meaning
plaintive substitute
bountiful effort
desperate sentence
subtle lexicon
inadequate remark
one-way mislead
unintentionally call

2. With a partner, try to put these collocations into sentences. Look back at the article to check your
answers and to see the context in which they are used.

5 Discussion

Discuss the following questions in small groups.

Do you prefer to write letters or send emails?

When did you last send an email?
When did you last write a letter?
How many emails do you send/receive per week?
How many letters do you send/receive per week?
Do you use emoticons when you write emails?
What do you think when you receive an email containing emoticons?

6 Webquest

Have a look at these websites for more information on emoticons. Which emoticons do you like best?

Unusual and funny emoticons:

www.angelfire.com/hi/hahakiam/emoticon.html

A-Z of emoticons:
www.sharpened.net/glossary/emoticons.php

Emoticons that you’ve probably never seen before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_emoticons

258
Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer: Gold

How many products or uses of gold can you name in two minutes? Write your answers in the box below.

Gold

2 Key words

Write these pairs of words into the appropriate sentences below. You may need to change the order of the
words or their tense.

imprison / detain
seize / drag
prospector / miner
nugget / fragment
rights / abuse
scavenge / pan
indiscriminate / inequality

1. A ______________ is someone who searches an area of land for gold. A ______________ digs gold out of
the ground.

2. A ______________ of gold is usually bigger than a ______________ of gold.

3. Although the man was ______________ for questioning, the judge decided not to ______________ him.

4. If you do something ______________, you do it without caring about what harm or damage you may inflict. We
use the word, ______________ to talk about situations where some people have more than others.

5. The police ______________ the man and ______________ him out of the car.

6. ______________ is a way to find gold by washing the stones. When you ______________, you search through
things other people have thrown away.

7. Everyone has ______________, and we shouldn’t ______________ them.

259
Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced
Prospectors and ‘ninja’ miners rush to 5 Until recently, thousands of Mongolians
the east’s El Dorado scavenged illegally through mounds of earth for
Central Asia’s gold fever is not only bringing rapid small fragments of gold missed by the mining
economic growth but also pollution and violence companies’ giant machines. To pan the dirt, they
similar to the Wild West used green plastic bowls, which they carry on
their backs like a shell. This appearance gives
Jonathan Watts in Ogoomor
them their nickname – ‘ninja’ – after the Teenage
October 10, 2007
Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.

6 Many were former nomads, but as the gold rush

1 Carefully touching the bruises on her forehead,
gathered pace, students, vets and taxi drivers
Enkhmaa – a middle-aged mother and illegal
from Ulan Bator joined the ninjas, not just in
gold miner – explains why she is afraid to go out
Ogoomor but in other gold towns across the
on the street with a green plastic bowl. Three
country. Today, estimates of their numbers range
days earlier, she says, the Mongolian police
from 30,000 to 100,000. This created a huge
seized, beat and imprisoned her for wandering
black market for gold – most of it thought to be
too close to a foreign-owned mine. “They chased
smuggled across Mongolia’s 3,000 mile border
after me in a car. When they caught me, they
with China.
dragged me inside, they hit me on the face,
pulled my hair and beat my leg with a truncheon,” 7 For years, the ninjas were tolerated. With
she recalls. three-quarters of the 2.9m population living on
less than $2 a day, scavenging and small-scale
2 Ogoomor, where Enkhmaa lives, is probably the
mining were seen as a way to ease poverty
only town in the world where you can be arrested
and unemployment.
and beaten by police for possession of a bowl. It
is a bizarre side effect of a Mongolian gold rush 8 But a Russian mining company asked for new
that is pitting nomadic miners against foreign security measures last year after thousands of
companies, and raising serious concerns about ninjas invaded one of its mines, beat the guards,
human rights. destroyed equipment and stole gold. A huge ditch
was dug around the edge of the town, troops and
3 Ogoomor is Mongolia’s Wild West, a dusty,
police were moved in to increase the security
thrown-together town of miners and nomads,
and checkpoints were set up on the roads into
tents and wooden shacks, karaoke discos,
the community.
Internet cafes and police cells. From Ulan
Bator, it is a seven-hour drive across vast plains 9 Arrests are now common, local people say. “We
inhabited only by a few nomads and their herds live in constant fear of being taken away,” says
of sheep and goats. According to locals, the Amarjargal. “We can’t even take a green bowl
town did not exist 20 years ago and it was only onto the street, and if we have dirty clothes,
recently given a name. But reports of giant or muddy shoes, it is used as an excuse to
nuggets in the nearby hills have sparked a gold arrest us.”
rush that attracted several thousand prospectors
– legal and illegal. 10 Since the crackdown began last year, the locals
guess 500 of the 3,000 residents have been
4 The area around Ogoomor has been called a detained. “It is hard to find any family that hasn’t
Mongolian El Dorado. The town is located in the had someone arrested,” said an elderly woman
Zaamar valley, where geologists estimate, there called Sunjee (most Mongolians only use one
are gold reserves of at least 100 tonnes. Russian name). “The police have taken people younger
and local firms have bought up concessions to than 16 and older than 60. There is a woman in
mine the land. detention now who is 66 years old.”

260
Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced
11 When the ninjas scavenge for gold or pan 14 But this is no black-and-white story of human
the river among the mounds of earth behind rights abuses and wealth inequality. Most
the dredges they are trespassing or stealing. ninjas make $10 to $20 dollars a day – a higher
These areas are the property of the Russian income than policemen or soldiers. Some strike
concession holders so the arrests are legitimate. it extremely rich. There are many stories in the
town of people who found giant nuggets worth
12 But the police crackdown has become tens of thousands of dollars.
indiscriminate. Residents say they are pulled
from their beds at night, chased as they walk 15 The Russian mining company, Altan Dornod
down the street or arrested at checkpoints on Mongol, says the ninjas are organized and
scant evidence that they have been scavenging controlled by criminal bosses. “The ninjas are
among the waste dumps. a Mongolian social problem. There are whole
towns of them with bars and prostitutes. They
13 Visitors to Ogoomor have been shocked at the even use their children to get gold. It’s awful,”
changes in Mongolia, which is known as Asia’s said a spokeswoman. “We don’t want to abuse
most democratic nation. “Ogoomor has become human rights, but we must protect our mine and
a concentration camp in the original sense of our workers.”
the word. The authorities enclose and control
the local population as the British did in the Boer © Guardian News & Media 2007
war,” says Robin Grayson, a geologist from First published in The Guardian, 10/10/07
Lancashire, who has visited the town more than
20 times.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the right answer.

1. A ninja turtle is a...

a. ... Russian security firm.
b. ... cartoon character.
c. ... Mongolian miner.

2. The Mongolian gold rush is causing problems between...

a. ... ninja turtles and security companies.
b. ... Russian gold miners and the Mongolian police.
c. ... nomadic miners and non-Mongolian companies.

3. Ogoomor is...
a. ... an ancient Mongolian city.
b. ... a town separated from the capital, Ulan Bator, by a long drive.
c. ... the Mongolian word for gold.

4. The majority of the residents of Ogoomor are...

a. ... rich
b. ... scared that they will be arrested.
c. ... in prison.

261
Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Multi-word collocations

Match the words in the three columns to make collocations from the article. They are in the order they
appear in the article.

1. illegal serious bowls

2. raise black rush
3. sparked a plastic concerns
4. bought poverty and unemployment
5. green gold miner
6. huge up concessions
7. ease gold market

8. new democratic fear

9. live in constant nation
10. Russian extremely holders
11. most rights measures
12. human criminal rich
13. strike it security bosses
14. controlled by concession abuses

Use these collocations to retell the story to your partner. Retell one half of the article each.

5 Discussion: A debate

One half of the class take the side of the ninjas, the other half take the side of the mining companies. In
your groups note down reasons why you should be allowed to mine / pan the land and present your case
to the other side.

Can you come to a mutually acceptable agreement to work together?

Appoint two neutral observers to take notes and report back.

6 Webquest

What is the current price of gold? Is it rising or falling? Do you think gold is a good investment? Use the
following websites to help you answer the questions.

http://goldprice.org/
www.thebulliondesk.com
http://goldprices.com/
www.kitco.com

262
Extreme education
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words and phrases from the text.

zero tolerance scrutinize accountability discrepancy peer

vehemently mentor disadvantaged sponsor needy

1. A ____________ is an experienced person who helps someone with less experience.

2. A ____________ is someone who belongs to the same social or professional group as another

person or who is the same age as another person.

3. A ____________ is a person or business who pays money to support an event or programme.

4. ____________ is a situation in which people are questioned or criticized for their actions.

5. ____________ is a situation in which all offences, even the most minor, are strictly punished in

accordance with the law or a set of rules.

6. A ____________ is a difference between two things that should be the same.

7. If you are ____________, you do not have enough money for basic things such as food and clothing.

8. If you are ____________, you do not have the same advantages as other people.

9. If you protest ____________, you protest very strongly and with passionate feelings.

10. If you ____________ something, you examine it very carefully.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether you think these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. In the US, statistics show that 95% of parents want a better education for their children.

2. At small 200-pupil academies in the US, children attend class for 12 hours a day.

3. Academies like these have better test scores than private schools.

4. In one academy in a tough area of the South Bronx (the Kipp academy), all the children can read music.

5. More boys apply to join the academies than girls.

6. Some British educationalists believe the UK could learn a lot from the US small academies programme.

263
Extreme education
Level 3 Advanced
Coming to an inner city near you, 5 “As a principal of a small school I know what every
extreme education child is up to in terms of their academic achievement
and their behaviour,” says Mr Verrilli. It’s an
Small US academies with tough rules and
accountability that is extended to teachers: Mr Verrilli
excellent results are model for British
will sit in on classes with a Blackberry, emailing the
Polly Curtis, education editor instructor his notes as they teach.
October 22, 2007
6 North Star and other small schools like it, have
1 Some people call it extreme education: 10-hour days, evolved out of the 3,500-strong charter school
parental contracts and zero tolerance behaviour movement in the US. Charter schools are
policies in small, 200-pupil academies. The result, independent schools, funded by the state, and
seen in an evolving breed of US school, is 100% allowed more freedom to set policies, including
college acceptance, test scores to rival private their admissions procedures. It runs a lottery for
schools, and south Bronx teenagers who play the admissions and has 1,800 children on the waiting list.
viola like their Manhattan neighbours. Parents have to put their child’s name into the lottery
and there are discrepancies in who does so; three
2 James Verrilli, principal of the North Star Academy times more girls apply than boys.
in Newark, America’s second poorest city, said:
“These kids know drugs. These kids know crime and 7 Mr Verrilli vehemently denies any suggestion that his
violence. Their fathers are in jail. We have established students might not be the most needy. “It’s a prejudice
a school culture which is very distinct from the attitude to say that parents from disadvantaged backgrounds
they walk in the door with. It’s a college-bound don’t care about their kids’ education. 95% of parents
culture.” just want a better education for their children. “We’re
not creaming. I’m defensive about that. It’s something
3 At the North Star Academy children like Charism we’re accused of a lot. How hard is it to put your
and Queen-Ama smile politely as they shake your child’s name down on a piece of paper?” he said.
hand and welcome you in. Some 85% of pupils
are African-American and 90% get free school 8 Every child who attends the Kipp (Knowledge is
meals. Last year 80% were graded ‘proficient Power Programme) academy in south Bronx, New
or advanced’ in maths, compared with 28% in York, plays in its orchestra, the best school ensemble
the local neighbourhood school, and exceeding in the city. Every child can read music. Shirley Lee,
state averages. Pupils work in silence with a a director of the Kipp academy in the Bronx, says it
professionalism learned during a three-day process. works because there is a consistent approach across
From the beginning, pupils are taught to speak clearly, every part of the school. “The truth and reality is that
answer questions in full sentences and look the kids like structure,” she said. “It’s about telling them
teacher in the eye. what’s appropriate and them learning when to use
it. I wouldn’t talk to you like I am now if I was out in
4 Parents have to sign a three-way contract with their
some of these areas. But if we teach them to look in
child and the principal, promising to pull their weight. my eyes when I’m speaking to them, they will use
When a child’s homework isn’t handed in by 8am that if they get stopped by the police and that will
there is a phone call home. When the parent doesn’t protect them.”
turn up for a meeting, their child is not allowed back
into school until they turn up. Signs telling them ‘No 9 In the UK, the political debate about the achievement
excuses’ line the walls. “I was working until 11 last gap between rich and poor in schools is gathering
night. I’m tired, but I know I’ve got to work,” says pace. The official body for inspecting schools, Ofsted,
one 11-year-old, as she finishes up a ‘brain food’ last week highlighted the ‘stark divide’ in achievement
worksheet over breakfast. “Even my mother’s gone linked to social class and the government has set
back to school since I’ve been here.” Pupils are tested itself tough new targets on reducing the gap. Three
every six weeks and their results scrutinized. London academies are experimenting with small

264
Extreme education
Level 3 Advanced
school principles and last week a group of British 11 Ark is also helping to fund the 30 ‘Future Leaders’
teachers in training to run inner city schools visited group on the school leadership training scheme
the US looking for methods to tackle the dire state of visiting the US. The trainees are expected to take
‘complex urban education’. some of the ideas they experience home to the
UK. Many of them see limits in how translatable the
10 Ark, a UK academy sponsor, is taking key model is to the UK, however. They talk about the
components of the small school model into London fact that most of the US schools are middle schools,
academies. Lucy Heller, managing director of Ark, for 10–14 year-olds. The model has been tested
says: “There’s something in the air: it’s small schools, less in the secondary school age group (11–18).
tough behaviour management and an adamant They also ask how smaller schools can be afforded,
belief that inner city children can do just as well.” though others point out the fact that in the US
The UK schools minister says small schools can facilities are basic. “They don’t even have interactive
teach disadvantaged children the skills that their whiteboards,” says one of the group’s mentors.
middle class peers take for granted: “High ambition, “They just teach. Small schools might not be
zero tolerance of failure, an expectation that children practical in the UK, but what I really want these new
will go to university and that schools will give them school leaders to take back is the sense of culture in
the education to do so.” these schools.”
© Guardian News & Media 2007
First published in The Guardian, 22/10/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What is the purpose of the three-way contract?

a. To enforce a zero tolerance policy.
b. To ensure that parents, children and the principal all work for each child’s success.
c. To make sure that all homework is handed in by 8 am.

2. What are the three basic components that UK schools will take from the US model?
a. Zero tolerance, homework handed in by 8am, and children excluded if their parents do not turn
up for meetings.
b. Small schools, strict management of behaviour and a strong belief that children from disadvantaged
backgrounds can do well.
c. High ambition, zero tolerance of failure and an expectation that children will go to university.

3. How is accountability at the North Star Academy extended to teachers?

a. They have to work a 10-hour day, just like the pupils.
b. They have to scrutinize test results.
c. The principal observes their lessons and sends them notes about their lessons.

4. Which statement best reflects the plans of UK educationalists?

a. They intend to use some of the US ideas.
b. They intend to copy the US model exactly and introduce small school academies to the UK.
c. They intend to copy the US model but have better facilities like interactive whiteboards.

265
Extreme education
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words or expressions.

1. A participle meaning gradually changing and developing. (para 1)

2. A three-word expression meaning to do your share of the work. (para 4)
3. A verb used informally here meaning to take the very best of something. (para 7)
4. A noun meaning a musical group. (para 8)
5. A two-word expression meaning becoming stronger and more successful. (para 9)
6. A two-word expression meaning obvious difference. (para 9)
7. An adjective meaning extremely bad. (para 9)
8. An adjective meaning very determined. (para 10)

5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings.

1. hand in a. highlight
2. turn up b. go to a class you are not directly involved in
3. go back c. write something on a piece of paper
4. sit in (on) d. arrive
5. put down e. give to a person in authority
6. point out f. return

6 Vocabulary 3: Verb and noun collocations

Use these verbs from the text to fill the gaps.

attend take set look

establish sign gather pull

1. ____________ a target
2. ____________ a culture
3. ____________ someone in the eye
4. ____________ a school, college or academy
5. ____________ pace
6. ____________ your weight
7. ____________ something for granted
8. ____________ a contract

7 Discussion

Do you think there should be more or less discipline in schools? List the points for and against
schools like the North Star Academy.

266
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

1 What are they called now?

Match the old African state and province names with their current names.

Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
French Sudan Mozambique
German Southwest Africa Ethiopia
Rhodesia Burkina Faso
Upper Volta Namibia
Portuguese East Africa Zimbabwe

2 Key words

Put the following key words into the sentences.

bureaucracy plummet delusion conspiracy whim

confiscate regime hyperinflation collapse independence

1. When something is in a state of _______________, it is breaking down and has almost stopped functioning.

2. A _______________ is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics.

3. A _______________ is a sudden feeling that you need to do something (usually unimportant).

4. When you get your _______________ you are no longer controlled by another person or country.

5. An idea or belief that is not true can be called a _______________. It is often the belief that you are better than
you really are.

6. When there is an incredibly high increase in prices this is called _______________.

7. _______________ is a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes.

8. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way is called a
_______________.

9. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it _______________.

10. When you _______________ something, you take it away for legal reasons or as a punishment.

267
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

British Airways says goodbye 6 Yesterday, the last plane left behind another
to Zimbabwe government sinking deeper into the delusion that
everything is under its control. As the economy
Last BA flight from a grounded economy
shrinks amid hyperinflation and collapsing
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London production, Mr Mugabe has created a vast new
October 29, 2007 bureaucracy to oversee price controls on non-
existent goods in the shops.

1 The last flight out taxied from the sparkling new 7 His finance minister maintains an official
Harare airport, lifted over the city and dipped its exchange rate so out of proportion with the
wings in farewell. With that, British Airways said hidden market that the central bank governor has
goodbye to Zimbabwe. to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street.

2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr 8 The regime has said they have the best
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was agricultural season even though there is no
probably part of a British government conspiracy bread in the shops because the wheat harvest
to unseat the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, has fallen short by two-thirds and production
but that he was going to miss British Airways of tobacco, once Zimbabwe’s biggest money
anyway. “In these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe earner, has dropped to one-fifth of what it once
has developed a reputation for being unreliable,” was. Cigarettes are in such short supply that a
he said. marijuana joint is cheaper.

3 What he means is that Zimbabwe’s national 9 The government has even announced plans to
airline is in much the same state as the country, sell electricity to Namibia next year even though
with flights running days late due to lack of fuel or it doesn’t generate enough power to keep lights
maintenance, or diverted at Mr Mugabe’s whim to on at home.
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or to attend the
Pope’s funeral. 10 The reality is that a man living in a Harare
township lucky enough to have a job earns,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA on average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this the hidden-market rate. His transport to work
plane. I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the in Harare costs more than that but he has to
shops for weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it overspend if he wants to keep his job.
matters that this is the last flight, but it does. It’s
as if we’re finally being cut off from the rest of the 11 Other European airlines abandoned Zimbabwe
world. I think for us [whites] it felt like the escape as its economy collapsed but BA stayed because
route if we ever needed it”. historic ties with Britain meant there were still a
steady number of passengers.
5 It’s not the first time BA has been forced out of
Zimbabwe. Services were discontinued in 1965 12 But the airline says it has been defeated by
when Ian Smith declared independence for escalating costs, particularly the price of having
Rhodesia and promised that not in a thousand to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
years would a black man rule. BA was back 15 unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
years later when Mr Smith was defeated by the Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to
reality of economics as much as war; Rhodesia the pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever to the pound today.
rule Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power.

268
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

13 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are 15 The younger Mr Msipa is a property developer
suspicious of the economic claims. He doesn’t who travels regularly to London. His job has
understand how BA isn’t making money. Mr kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
Msipa admits there is a crisis though, and that his away from him and his five children. “We have
dad might be part of the problem. a relative advantage. I can get things done ... I
have contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
14 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands get to London now is a problem. No one wants
province where he has overseen the confiscation to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
of white-owned farms and the collapse of luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
agriculture. Mr Msipa concedes this may have Air Zimbabwe.”
been a mistake. “Being an old nationalist, my
father believes that everything is about the land. © Guardian News & Media 2007
Whereas our generation says we should get into First published in The Guardian, 29/10/07
computers and call centres”.

3 Comprehension check

Complete the sentences with the correct endings.

1. British Airways have stopped flights from 5. The average worker from a township
Zimbabwe for... in Zimbabwe earns...

a. ... the first time in its history. a. ... approximately the cost of a plane
b. ... the rest of the year. ticket to London.
c. ... the second time in 75 years. b. ... less than the money he needs to spend
on transport to get to work.
2. White Zimbabweans see British Airways as their... c. ... £225 per year.

a. ... link to the rest of the world.

6. Tobacco production has fallen to...
b. ... link to South Africa.
c. ... only escape route out of Zimbabwe.
a. ... four-fifths of last year’s production.
b. ... two-thirds of last year’s production.
3. The first black man to rule Zimbabwe was...
c. ... one-fifth of last year’s production.
a. ... Ian Smith.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is....
b. ... Robert Mugabe.
c. ... Cephas Msipa.
a. ... agriculture.
b. ... computers.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... c. ... call centres.

a. ... more than 10years.

b. ... more than 15 years.
c. ... more than 25 years.

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Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns

Write the words underneath the correct stress patterns.

agriculture proportion independence conspiracy

plummeted reality bureaucracy reputation
government confiscation delusion Johannesburg
governor discontinued Zimbabwean nationalist

oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

Zimbabwe maintenance economy economic

5 Discussion

In Zimbabwe, a loaf of bread costs more than fifty times the price it was at the beginning of the year.
Compare this to inflation in your country.

In your country:
How much do dairy products (milk, butter, cheese) cost now?
How much did they cost one year ago / five years ago?
Make the same comparisons for other items such as bread, alcohol, cigarettes, petrol, houses etc.

6 Webquest

What is the current rate of exchange between the British pound and the Zimbabwean dollar?

Go to www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zi.html to read the latest updated facts and

figures about Zimbabwe.

Go to www.swradioafrica.com and click on the ‘listen live’ button to listen to the latest independent news
from Zimbabwe. The website also contains short news articles and podcasts.

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Google reveals mobile plans
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

incompatible launch intrigue foothold outpace

trial protracted lobby slot vaunted

1. A ____________ process is one that lasts for a long time, often longer than expected.

2. Something which is ____________ is praised highly or described as very important or successful.

3. If two or more devices are ____________, they are not able to work together because they have different

operating systems.

4. ____________ is normally a noun but as a verb it means to test something thoroughly to see if it works.

5. If you ____________ people in authority, you try to influence them on a particular subject.

6. If you ____________ a product or service you start selling it to the public on a specific date.

7. If a company ____________ another company, it moves more quickly and is more successful than its rival.

8. If you gain a ____________ in a particular market, you enter that market for the first time and take a position

from which you can become more successful.

9. ____________ involves a lot of interest and speculation about a particular subject.

10. A ____________ is a time during a series of events when it is arranged that something will happen. Aircraft

have to book a ____________ in order to land and take off, for example.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether you think these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Google was founded by two university students.

2. Google was founded in 1988.

3. It is now the fifth largest company in the USA.

4. The iPhone mobile phone system is owned by Google.

5. Google is now worth around $22.5 billion.

6. Google is more successful than AOL but not as successful as Yahoo.

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Google reveals mobile plans
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Google reveals mobile plans around the project, which is thought to have heavily
involved staff from the company’s British offices.
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent
“It’s incredibly important to say this is not the
November 5, 2007
announcement of the Google Phone,” he said.

1 Google today took another step in its quest to 6 Moving into the phone market could prove to be a
become the most powerful company in the world as money-spinner for the Californian company, allowing it
it finally confirmed plans to enter the mobile phone to get a foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing
industry. The company is introducing a new mobile industries. Nokia, the market-leading mobile phone
system called Android, which it hopes will bring maker, sold more than 100m handsets in the last
Internet access to the masses – and help it sell three months, while network operators such as
more advertising. Vodafone remain some of the largest companies
around the globe.
2 Announcing the news, the Google chief executive,
Eric Schmidt, said Android was a toolkit that would 7 The move underlines Google’s expanding influence
encourage people to use the Internet on their phones over our lives as more information and money moves
and would bridge the conflict between different online. The Internet giant – which was founded by
incompatible handsets. “The fundamental problem university roommates Larry Page and Sergey Brin in
with handsets today is that they don’t have full power 1998 – is now worth in excess of $225bn (£108bn),
Internet browsers – we have to do specialized making it the fifth largest company in America. Thanks
engineering to get our software on those devices,” in large part to its ability to display advertising on its
he said. “This will give wireless operators and phone search engine pages, Google has built a multibillion-
manufacturers the ability to create new things.” dollar business and outpaced other Internet giants
including Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL.
3 Increasing the amount of time people spend surfing
the Internet on their phones would also let Google 8 Google’s plans for future products and services
harvest information and display advertisements direct are wide-ranging, spanning office software, web
to mobile phones users just as it does on home monitoring and other advertising businesses. It is
computers, said Andy Rubin, the company’s director known to be trialling a system for monitoring television
of mobile. “We currently put ads on phones via the viewing, and last year bought the radio advertising
web browser,” he said. “Part of this is that it makes it company dMarc, with the aim of delivering adverts
so that there’s really no difference between browsing across a broad range of media. “This is a shot that
on your phone or on a computer. This enables is going to be heard around the world, but it’s just
Google’s business, but you won’t see a completely the first shot in what is going to be a very protracted
advertising-driven cellphone for a while yet.” battle in the next frontier of the mobile web,” said
Michael Gartenberg, a technology analyst with
4 Android – which will starting appearing on phones
Jupiter Research.
next year – has support from more than 30
companies, including mobile phone networks such 9 Meanwhile, Google is lobbying to buy its own space
as T-Mobile and handset makers such as Motorola on the US airwaves in what is seen as a threat to
and South Korea’s HTC. Some experts had traditional phone companies and Internet providers.
previously speculated that Google was planning to By purchasing a slot on the mobile phone spectrum,
manufacture its own mobile phones in a similar vein Google could sidestep the telecommunications
to Apple, whose iPhone device will be launched in networks entirely and provide a series of mobile
the UK next week. services directly to the public.
5 But Mr Schmidt said he only intended to offer new 10 The announcement of Android comes days before
software for mobile phones – not the handsets Apple launches its much-vaunted iPhone handset in
themselves – bringing to an end months of intrigue the UK. Google denied it was attempting to compete

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Google reveals mobile plans
Level 3 Advanced
head-to-head with the iPod maker. Although some
Google applications such as Internet search and
maps come pre-installed on the iPhone, it does
not require any Google services in order to run. Mr
Schmidt, who is also on the board of Apple, said
Android was aiming to work with existing phone
companies rather than replace them. “It’s true that
I’m on the board of Apple, but it’s also important to
state that there are going to be many different sorts
of mobile experiences,” he said.

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 05/11/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the information in the text.

1. Why is Google interested in entering the mobile phone industry?

a. Because Google wants to compete with iPhone.
b. Because it has wide-ranging plans for future products.
c. Because this will help it to sell more advertising.

2. What exactly is Android?

a. A mobile phone like the iPhone.
b. A toolkit that will encourage people to use the Internet on their mobile phones.
c. A system that is designed to replace existing mobile phone companies.

3. What has been the main factor in Google’s success?

a. The fact that it is able to display advertising on its search engine pages.
b. The fact that it has gained a foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
c. The fact that it has purchased a slot on the mobile phone spectrum.

4. How does the article describe Google’s plans for future products and services?
a. It is part of a battle in the next frontier of the mobile web.
b. It is planning to be involved in a number of different technological areas.
c. It wants to sidestep the telecommunications network entirely.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. A verb meaning to gather. (para 3)

2. A verb meaning to look for information on the Internet. (para 3)
3. A four-word expression meaning in almost the same style. (para 4)
4. A two-word expression meaning a very profitable product or activity. (para 6)
5. A three-word expression meaning more than a particular amount. (para 7)
6. A verb meaning to include a number of things. (para 8)
7. A verb meaning to avoid something problematical. (para 9)
8. A three-word expression meaning competing directly with someone else. (para 10)

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs and the nouns. Check your answers in the text.

1. provide a. a business
2. launch b. a step
3. take c. a new product
4. surf d. a market
5. move into e. an application
6. found f. a service
7. build g. the Internet
8. install h. a company

6 Vocabulary 3: Nouns followed by prepositions

Fill the gaps using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.

1. access ____________
2. problem ____________
3. difference ____________
4. influence ____________
5. in excess ____________
6. thanks ____________
7. range ____________
8. threat ____________

7 Discussion

Are you happy to use your mobile phone to make calls and send messages or do you want other services
on your phone? What kind of services would you like your mobile phone provider to offer?

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Bye bye Belgium?
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text.

apocalypse fragile inevitable arrogance pact

courtesy amicable steadfast humiliated demise

1. If you feel _________________, you feel very embarrassed and ashamed.

2. A _________________ person is one who does not change his or her opinions because they have a strong

belief in something.
3. An _________________ relationship is one that is friendly and without arguments.

4. If something is _________________, it can be broken or damaged very easily.

5. If something is _________________, it is impossible to avoid or prevent.

6. A _________________ is an agreement between two or more people or organizations in which they promise

to do something.

7. _________________ is formal politeness in social situations.

8. The _________________ of something is the time when it ceases to exist.

9. _________________ is behaviour that shows you think you are better or more important than other people.

10. _________________ is a time when the whole world will be destroyed.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. More Belgians speak French as a mother-tongue than Dutch (Flemish).

2. Belgium has existed as a country for over 300 years.

3. More than half the population of Belgium think their country will break into two parts.

4. The French part of Belgium is called Wallonia.

5. The Flemish part of Belgium is called Flamonia.

6. Only Dutch is spoken in Brussels.

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Bye bye Belgium?
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Bye bye Belgium? small countries of Europe. For us, Belgium is simply
counterproductive. We’d be better off without it.” At
Jon Henley
any rate, on the streets of Halle, barely a quarter
November 13, 2007
of an hour’s train ride from the capital, feelings are
certainly running high. Here, as Demesmaeker
1 Belgium is in crisis, apparently, though on the outside politely explains, the local council has a Flemish
at least it doesn’t really look it. The newspapers and language manifesto stating that Halle is a Dutch-
the politicians, though, are predicting apocalypse. language town, and intends to remain so. “We
Believe them, and the country is in the worst trouble merely ask everyone to respect that,” he says.
of its brief history, or at least since the dark days
5 Some may see here the seeds of something rather
of the last war. Belgium, remarkably, has spent
nastier than a quest for linguistic integrity. But in
the past 156 days without a government and while
any case, continues Demesmaeker, the root of
this is plainly not yet in itself a catastrophe, there
the problem is that Halle’s French speakers show
is a very real fear that the fragile and complicated
“very little willingness to learn Dutch. They come
arrangement that holds this impossible country
here, they see Halle as some kind of extension of
together may finally be beginning to come unstuck.
Brussels, they walk into the shops and they say,
Belgium, it is whispered, could soon be no more.
‘Bonjour’. Many make no attempt. Don’t get me
2 Belgium’s citizens seem quite resigned to it: recent wrong: I have nothing against Walloons. I go often to
surveys show that in the north as many as 63% think the Ardennes forests, in the far south, and there they
the break-up of their 177-year-old country is now are charming, completely different. But here ... Well,
more or less inevitable. “The place has had it,” says there’s a certain arrogance, I think. French was for
René Vanderweiden, a telecoms engineer, queuing so long the dominant language and culture here, you
in the Brussels drizzle for a tram. “Maybe not now, see. And the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Halle,
maybe not in ten years’ time. But within my lifetime, well ... there are tensions. They don’t like too many
I’d guess. The Flemings (Belgium’s Dutch-speaking people speaking French here. They don’t like some
majority) want out of it, and they’re no longer afraid of the classes in our schools being half-full of French
of saying so. There’s an impatience, that wasn’t children.”
there before.”
6 A local shopkeeper agreed: “This is Flanders here,
3 Sheltering from the rain in a cafe, Joelle Rutten, and we deserve as much respect as anyone else
who works in a bookshop, blames the politicians. for our language and for our culture. If we go to
“We obviously don’t need them,” she says. “Look Wallonia, we expect to have to speak French. It’s
at us – we’re all going to work, paying our taxes, only right. And it’s only right that when Belgian
nothing has changed. They’re utterly out of touch French-speakers come here, they should speak
with ordinary people, anyway, arguing about things Dutch. It’s common courtesy. But most either can’t,
that mean nothing to most of us. It’s a scandal! They or don’t bother.”
have no idea what they’re doing at all.”
7 Reinforced by such passionate sentiments,
4 Sadly, though, the politicians – or some of them, Belgium’s Flemish politicians last week took
at least – seem to have a very clear idea of what the historic step of voting through the split-up of
they are doing. In a town hall office in the Brussels Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde suburb in parliamentary
suburb of Halle, Mark Demesmaeker, deputy mayor, committee. The Walloon MPs stormed out of the
remarks cheerfully that he “can no longer see the chamber in protest. In living memory, this was the
value of Belgium, actually. There are six million of first time that Belgium’s unspoken pact had been
us Flemings, we work hard, we make money, and broken: the politicians of one language community
we’re perfectly capable of standing on our own had forced a vote, against the wishes of those of
two feet. Indeed, we would be one of the wealthier another. It may not signal the end of Belgium, but

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Bye bye Belgium?
Level 3 Advanced

most politicians agree that it does not bode well for not prepared to do is carry on as things are. This is a
the country’s future. very, very deep crisis.”

8 In an office in the centre of Brussels, Charles Piqué, 12 Unfortunately, says Piqué, for the Walloons and
the capital’s French-speaking minister-president, for Brussels, “an arrangement like that would be
concedes that the vote had “a very, very strong very, very difficult. In a federal state, based on
symbolic value. It is not decisive, I don’t think, not co-operation and solidarity, everything is possible.
yet. But it marks another step in the ongoing process In a confederation, where there’s no real central
of Flemish intimidation. We have learned in this government to resolve disputes, everything
country, over the years, to compromise more and becomes much more problematic. And if the
more to avoid these kinds of situations. But this Flemish get exactly what they want out of all this,
shows their determination, that they are prepared and make no concessions, and the Walloons start
to increase tensions between the communities. to feel humiliated and realize they’ve been left with
And this is just the beginning of the Flemish nothing, then there will inevitably be a radicalization.
demands. They will now demand a full transfer of Future historians could well look back and say: ‘This
responsibilities, the further defederalization of this moment, right now, was this country’s turning point.’”
country. What happens next is critical.”
13 The demise of Belgium, Piqué says, would be “a
9 But is Belgium really necessary? That, increasingly, victory for selfishness”. Also, it would be short-
is becoming the question, if not quite yet for ordinary sighted, costly and sad. Call me sentimental, but on
Belgians, then certainly for their political leaders balance I agree. Outside, it is still pouring. But the
and the media. The ‘Czechoslovakia option’ of an tram comes, on time, and nobody on it looks any
amicable divorce, with Brussels becoming a kind of unhappier than they might reasonably be expected
international city state, is being openly discussed. to look in Brussels in November in the rain. They
So too, extraordinarily, is the notion that Wallonia may not be missing their politicians, the Belgians.
might become part of France, which a poll this But it is beginning to look like they might, in the not
weekend showed the French would be perfectly too distant future, be missing their country.
happy to countenance.
© Guardian News & Media 2007
10 Joelle Rutten, the bookshop worker, steadfastly First published in The Guardian, 13/11/07
refuses to believe that Belgium is on the brink:
“We’ve grown up in this country; it’s a nice country,
a friendly country. It would be stupid, completely
idiotic, to split it all up just because a few thick-
headed politicians are so out of touch with reality
that they can’t see sense.”

11 But for Demesmaeker and his Flemish friends,

there now has to be, at the very least, major
constitutional reform: “We could just about live
with a confederation – two independent states
that voluntarily decide what they can profitably do
together. That would be sensible, and it’s a very
different proposition from what we have now,”
he says. “It’s not that we’re not prepared to help
Wallonia; nobody wants a weak neighbour. But it
would have to be on our terms: there would have to
be transparency, efficiency, less waste. What we are

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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why do some people think that Belgium will break up?

a. Because the country’s Dutch-speaking majority think they will be better off as an independent country.
b. Because the country’s French-speaking minority wants to become a part of France.
c. Because the country is in economic decline.

2. What is the minimum requirement of people like the deputy mayor of Halle?
a. That Belgium is divided into two independent countries.
b. That everyone in Belgium should speak Dutch.
c. That there should be major constitutional reform.

3. What is the view of the minister-president of Brussels?

a. He believes that Flemish politicians are prepared to increase tensions between the two communities.
b. He thinks that the break-up would be good for most Belgians.
c. He supports a confederation rather than a federal state.

4. Which sentence best describes the mood in Brussels after 156 days without a government?
a. There is anger and panic in the streets.
b. Life goes on as normal.
c. People are out on the streets demanding change.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. A noun meaning an event that causes serious problems for everyone. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning accepting that something bad must happen. (para 2)

3. A three-word expression meaning not having recent knowledge about something. (para 3)

4. A six-word expression meaning to be independent. (para 4)

5. A four-word expression meaning it looks as if something bad will happen. (para 7)

6. A verb meaning to allow to happen. (para 9)

7. A three-word expression meaning about to experience something bad. (para 10)

8. A two-word noun meaning a time when an important change takes place. (para 12)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form collocations.
Check your answers in the text.

1. make a. a vote
2. resolve b. a pact
3. pay c. respect
4. break d. concessions
5. force e. taxes
6. deserve f. disputes

6 Vocabulary 3: Expressions

Match the expressions from the text with their meanings.

1. to be better off a. people are very angry

2. feelings are running high b. to continue
3. to get someone wrong c. to leave quickly because you are very angry
4. to storm out d. to misunderstand
5. to carry on e. failing to consider what will happen in the future
6. short-sighted f. in a better situation

7 Discussion

Do you think countries should be divided along ethnic or linguistic lines?

What are the arguments for and against such divisions?

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Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

What does a palaeontologist do?

Can you name any well-known palaeontologists (real or on TV or film)?
Would you like to be a palaeontologist? Why / Why not?

2 Key words: Pronunciation and meaning

1. Draw the stress pattern for these words from the article.

e.g. Palaeontological ooooOoo rummaging Ooo

correspondent _________________
dinosaur _________________
enthusiast _________________
fossil _________________
sauropods _________________
programmer _________________
association _________________
palaeontologists _________________
eminent _________________
vertebra _________________
carnivorous _________________
herbivorous _________________
specimens _________________

2. Discuss their meanings and then check your answers in a dictionary.

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Untouched on a shelf for 113 years: 6 “I was going through the cabinets looking for two
a dusty bone of the dinosaur no one particular specimens, but before I got to those,
knew existed I found this thing lying on its side with a label
calling it something that it clearly wasn’t,” he said.
Spinal fossil of sauropod found in museum vault.
Species believed to have lived 140m years ago.
7 “I took it over to the bench, laid it down gently
Ian Sample, science correspondent on sandbags, and started looking at it. I was
November 15, 2007 thinking, can it be this, can it be that, and the
answer, over and over, was no.”
1 Part-time dinosaur enthusiast Mike Taylor was
rummaging among the shelves of the Natural 8 The bone, a vertebra from near the hip of the
History Museum in London when he came across creature, was discovered in Ecclesbourne Glen,
a dusty fossil. He immediately realized that the near Hastings, in the early 1890s, by a fossil
label stuck to the fossil was distinctly wrong. collector called Philip James Rufford.

2 For 113 years the fossil, stored deep below the 9 It was studied briefly by the English
museum after being dismissed as just another palaeontologist Richard Lydekker, before
fossil from a common North American dinosaur, being stored at the museum. It was labelled as
had barely attracted a second look. In fact, what ‘Morosaurus brevis’ once a common sauropod in
the computer programmer from Gloucestershire what is now North America.
had found was evidence of a new species that
lived 140m years ago. 10 Taylor noticed features in the spinal bone that
made it clear it was from a sauropod. It contained
3 According to the journal of the British large air holes that lightened the skeleton,
Palaeontological Association, the dinosaur, now making it easier for the giants to walk. But it
named Xenoposeidon proneneukus, belonged to differed dramatically in other ways.
a previously unknown family of sauropods. It was
about the size of an elephant and weighed as 11 Apart from its probable size, Taylor says it is
much as 7.5 tonnes, the journal suggests. almost impossible to infer anything else about
it. Describing how he felt on holding the bone,
4 The astonishing find came last January during Taylor said: “It’s just pure love.”
a day of PhD research spent picking through
bones to learn more about sauropods, the largest 12 “What this suggests is that these dinosaurs were
creatures ever to walk the Earth. Taylor was much more diverse and more widespread than
visiting the museum as part of his research at we realized, so we’re still only scratching the
Portsmouth University. surface in understanding them,” he said.

5 Behind grey metal doors in a gloomy 13 There are three major groups of dinosaurs. The
sub-basement lie row upon row of shelves most fearsome were the carnivorous theropods,
strewn with the fossilised remains of extinct among them Tyrannosaurus rex and the
creatures. Many of the museum’s 90 million velociraptor. A second group is the ornithischians,
fossils can be found there. Taylor found the long such as the triceratops and stegosaurus.
neglected spine fossil on a shelf, a few floors
beneath the offices of some of the most eminent 14 But the sauropods, including the herbivorous
palaeontologists in Britain. diplodocus and brachiosaurus, dwarfed them all,

281
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with some weighing 70 tonnes and nearing 30 are so important. Things that did not appear too
metres long. significant when they were first discovered can
become important later on.”
15 Angela Milner, keeper of palaeontology at the
museum, said the Xenoposeidon was unlikely © Guardian News & Media 2007
to be the only undiscovered species in the First published in The Guardian, 15/11/07
collection.

16 “Because the collections here are so large, it’s

bound to be the case that some specimens have
not been reviewed in many, many years,” she
said. “When people look at things using modern
techniques, it’s not unusual to make new
discoveries and that’s why museum collections

3 Comprehension check

Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article.

1. Nobody had noticed this new species before 5. The diplodocus and the brachiosaurus were two
because the fossil... of the...
a. ... had been labelled incorrectly. a. ... smallest dinosaurs.
b. ... had not been labelled. b. ... medium-sized dinosaurs.
c. ... had been hidden. c. ... largest dinosaurs.

2. The fossil was recently rediscovered at... 6. Angela Milner says...

a. ... Portsmouth University. a. ... that it was likely to be the only incorrectly
b. ... Ecclesbourne Glen, near Hastings. labelled fossil in the museum.
c. ... the Natural History Museum in London b. ... there are probably more incorrectly labelled
fossils in the museum
3. Sauropods were... c. ... that there are definitely more Xenoposeidon
a. ... meat eaters. fossils in the museum.
b. ... vegetarians.
c. ... omnivores (ate anything).

4. The three major dinosaur groups are the...

a. ... theropods, ornithischians and sauropods.
b. ... tyrannosaurus, the stegosaurus and the
velociraptor.
c. ... sauropods, diplodocus and brachiosaurus.

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4 Vocabulary: Multiword expressions

1. Match these expressions with the explanations and then check back over the article to see how they
were used.

1. rummaging around don’t know or understand much – not looking into something deeply

2. to come across something people don’t usually look more than once

3. to barely attract a second look to tower over somebody / to be very much taller

4. only scratching the surface to discover something by chance

5. to dwarf something or somebody it is very likely so

6. it’s bound to be the case searching in a haphazard or undirected way

5 Discussion

Have you ever found anything exciting or interesting, something you didn’t know you had, or something
that amazed or surprised you? Think back to when you were a child.

• What was it?

• Where did you find it?

• What did you do with it?

• Where is it now?

6 Webquest

Choose one dinosaur, research it on the Internet, and then hold a short presentation about it to your group.

You can find a lot of clear information on websites such as:

• www.zoomdinosaurs.com

• www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/fact_files

You can also print out pictures from Google photos.

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Iceberg survivors
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1 Key words

Fill the gaps using an appropriate form of these key words from the text.

stricken hypothermia relieved endure evacuate

gutted mainland ordeal list drift

1. If a ship ____________ , it leans to one side.

2. An ____________ is an extremely unpleasant experience, especially one that lasts a long time.

3. ____________ is a serious medical condition in which your body temperature is very low.

4. If you feel ____________, you feel extremely disappointed.

5. If you feel ____________, you feel happy and relaxed because a bad situation has ended.

6. If a ship is ____________, it is badly damaged.

7. If you ____________ something unpleasant, you suffer it patiently for a long time.

8. If a ship ____________, it moves slowly in different directions because it has no power.

9. When people are ____________ from a dangerous situation, they are helped to leave it.

10. The ____________ is a large mass of land that forms the main part of a country and does not

include any islands.

2 What do you think?

Read the headline again. Now decide whether these statements about the text are True (T) or False (F).
Then check your answers in the text.

1. The ship was trapped in ice.

2. The ship hit an iceberg.

3. The passengers were rescued immediately.

4. They were on a cruise in the Arctic.

5. The passengers weren’t afraid.

6. The accident happened in the daytime.

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Happy to be heading home: iceberg pleased to be alive,” Danish tourist Jan Henkel,
survivors tell of fear in darkness 42, told the AFP news agency. Henkel, who
proposed to his girlfriend, Mette Larsen, after
One of the last to leave the Antarctic cruise ship
they survived the ordeal, added: “Everybody was
as it started listing believed they were all going
afraid they would die, I think.”
to die
Karen McVeigh 6 “I’m so relieved, I’m happy that everyone made
November 26, 2007 it off the ship, because it could have been a big
disaster,” said Eli Charne, 38, from California,
1 A survivor of the stricken Antarctic cruise liner speaking before he left King George Island.
Explorer has spoken of the terrifying hours he Charne, who raised the alarm after he felt the
spent drifting in the darkness in a lifeboat in vessel strike ice, said: “I thought the ship was
the freezing cold with other passengers, not going down. We were on the lowest deck of
knowing whether they would be rescued before the ship, so we all rushed out of the room and
the onset of hypothermia. The wife of Bob Flood, pressed the emergency button as water rushed
52, an ornithologist and academic, said that her in. It’s certainly nice to be on the way home now.
husband believed they were going to die. I’m just really glad to be around still,” he told
Reuters.
2 “When they were in the lifeboat, they didn’t
know whether a boat would come to rescue 7 The Explorer, owned by a Canadian tour
them,” Mandy Flood said. “He didn’t know how company, GAP Adventures, was a week away
long it would be before hypothermia would set from completing a 19-day, £4,000 trip tracing the
in. I don’t really know whether they had very 1914-16 expedition undertaken by the explorer
much information. He said that he did think they Sir Ernest Shackleton in his ship Endurance.
would die.” Endurance was trapped in the ice for months
before being broken up by it in October 1915.
3 Last night, a relieved Mr Flood, from the Isles
of Scilly, arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, on a 8 A spokesman for GAP Adventures said that after
military cargo plane, along with the remainder of landing in Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of
the tourists and crew from the shipwreck. Eleven mainland Chile, the passengers would be given
passengers and 66 staff had been forced to the option of joining another cruise or flying
remain on a military base in the Antarctic for two home. When asked whether an investigation was
nights due to bad weather. They joined the 75 under way into the ship’s sinking, the spokesman
passengers and two staff members who arrived said: “The investigation will commence once all
on the mainland on Saturday night. the passengers are safely on the mainland.”

4 The Explorer took on water after an iceberg 9 Those on board included 17 Dutch people, 14
struck the ship shortly before midnight on Friday, Americans, 12 Canadians, 10 Australians, four
punching a hole in its side. All 154 holidaymakers Swiss, four Irish, three Danes, two Argentines,
and staff on board, including 23 Britons, escaped two Belgians, two from Hong Kong and single
on lifeboats and endured five hours in sub- passengers from China, France, Germany,
zero temperatures before being rescued by the Japan, Colombia and Sweden. The majority
Norwegian vessel Nordnorge, which took them to of the crew were believed to be from the
two nearby military bases on King George Island. Philippines, the company stated.
5 Passengers among the first group of survivors 10 Mrs Flood, whose husband was employed by
to reach the mainland spoke of their relief as GAP to give lectures on the ship, said that as a
they stepped off the plane. “I feel wonderful, very staff member he was one of the last people to be

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evacuated as water filled the lower decks. “It took “But she said that despite his ordeal, Mr Flood
an hour for the full evacuation to take place and had managed to save a souvenir of his trip.
by that point the boat had started listing. He said “When I asked him whether he had managed
that was quite frightening and he realized they to save anything at all from the ship, he said
were in danger. He said that he knows how close yes – his passport and his pen drive (computer
they came,” she said. memory stick), which had all the footage.”

11 She said that earlier in the trip her husband had

© Guardian News and Media 2007
emailed her to tell her that he had managed to
First published in The Guardian 26/11/07
shoot some film footage of a rare bird called the
angel of the Antarctic, the snowy petrel. “He had
been to the Antarctic twice and had not been
able to get this, so he emailed me to tell me he
had and he was thrilled. I had in my mind that,
as soon as he got on a rescue boat, he would be
absolutely gutted that he had lost this footage.

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What was the passengers’ greatest fear?

a. That they would drown.

b. That no-one knew where they were so they wouldn’t be rescued.
c. That they wouldn’t be rescued before they died of hypothermia.

2. Where were the passengers taken first?

a. To King George Island.

b. To Punta Arenas.
c. To Norway.

3. How did the passenger who raised the alarm know there was a problem?
a. He heard the sound of the ship hitting an iceberg.
b. He felt the ship hit an iceberg.
c. He saw the ship hit an iceberg.

4. Why was Mr Flood particularly relieved after his rescue?

a. Because he managed to save his passport.

b. Because he was the last man off the ship before it sank.
c. Because he managed to save his pictures of the rare snowy petrel.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. A noun meaning the beginning of something bad. (para 1)

2. A noun meaning someone who studies birds. (para 1).
3. A noun meaning an accident where a ship is destroyed during a voyage. (para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning because of. (para 3)
5. A verb meaning to ask someone to marry you. (para 5)
6. A two-word expression meaning not to die as the result of an accident. (para 6)
7. A noun meaning film of a particular subject or event. (para 11)
8. An adjective meaning very pleased and excited. (para 11)

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.

1. survive a. a lecture
2. raise b. place
3. give c. film footage
4. punch d. an emergency button
5. press e. an ordeal
6. take f. a hole
7. shoot g. water
8. take on h. the alarm

6 Vocabulary 3: Phrasal verbs

Fill the gaps using an appropriate form of these phrasal verbs from the text.

set in take on break up rush in rush out step off

1. The ship began to ____________ water and soon began to sink.

2. The Endurance ____________ in the ice in 1915.
3. When water ____________ , it comes in through a hole very quickly.
4. If a disease or a condition ____________ , it begins to affect a person or a group of people.
5. When you ____________ a boat or a plane, you leave it.
6. If you ____________ of somewhere, you leave extremely quickly.

7 Discussion

The Antarctic is clearly a dangerous place to visit. Can you think of any other dangerous parts of the world
for tourists? What makes them dangerous? What dangerous places would you like to visit?

287
The future of design?
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading task: New ideas

Use two or more of these words to make six new design inventions. Then skim-read the article to check
your answers.

magnetic sticky solar-powered

clock camera tidier
robotic wastepaper transparent
garden furniture web
glowing mirrors cable bin
vague memos bathroom

a) ____________ ____________

b) ____________ – ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

c) ____________ ____________ ____________

d) ____________ ____________ ____________

e) ____________ ____________ ____________

f) ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

2 Keywords: Synonyms

Skim the article again to find words that mean (almost) the same as:

1) allowed / given/ come true ____________

2) boring / unexciting ____________

3) rule / idea ____________

4) original ____________

5) factory-made in large numbers ____________

6) plan / project ____________

7) fail ____________

8) payment ____________

9) inexact / indeterminate ____________

10) view / see ____________

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The future of design?
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The future of design? stores. One idea, for transparent sticky memos,
was suggested by a 21-year-old student and
Ian Sample, science correspondent
will be marketed next month. She stands to get
November 24, 2007
royalties from every pack sold.
A Japanese innovator wants to change the
face of shopping and replace mass-produced 5 Earlier this year, Nishiyama appointed London-
goods with people-power ideas based designers The Division as its first British
consultancy to feed into the project, ahead of a
1 If Kohei Nishiyama’s wishes are granted, he will formal UK launch next year. The company has
be financially independent by the age of 40, living submitted three designs to Nishiyama’s test site
as an inventor and being woken each morning by at www.cuusoo.jp/muji, including a clock that is
his robot dog. But the 37-year-old Tokyo-based vague about the time, a set of solar-powered,
designer and founder of Elephant Design has a glowing garden furniture, and a wastepaper bin
more ambitious dream, one he hopes will change that tidies ugly cables around work desks.
the face of British shopping.
6 David Tonge, founder of The Division, said: “Our
2 He wants to empty the shelves of dreary, mass- thinking with the clock was that mostly these
marketed and mass-produced objects and are at work to measure people’s efficiency and
replace them with products that we - the people people are watched clocking in and clocking
- have helped to develop. Nishiyama calls his out. We wanted something more relaxed for the
idea Design to Order and the principle is simple. home, so the hour hand is on the outside, and
Anyone with a unique idea, for anything from like a sundial it’s fairly vague. But in the centre, it
a robotic web camera to a magnetic bathroom displays minutes in a digital form so you can use
mirror, posts an image and description on his it if you’re doing something like cooking pasta for
website. There, people can log on to suggest 13 minutes.”
alterations and improvements to the design.
If enough people then vote for the product, 7 The idea for the garden furniture came after
he makes a deal with a manufacturer and the Tonge was fed-up with the over-designed options
product is made. he found in shops, while the cable tidier is a
standard paper bin fitted with a powerblock and
3 “There are so many mass-produced products cable storage compartments.
making it on to the shelves because that’s how
large companies do things. Our idea is to give 8 As of yesterday, Tonge’s clock had received 39
people what they want by involving anyone of votes, the cable tidier 22 votes and the garden
any age or nationality who has a good idea, early furniture nine. The leading product on the site,
on in the process,” says Nishiyama. “There are a with 235 votes, is a bathroom mirror that doubles
lot of people who have great ideas but they’re not as a whiteboard. The designers pitch it at the
working in the business. Our society is an under- busy professional, who can write appointments
utilised talent.” and thoughts on it, attach memos like fridge
magnets, and glimpse them as they brush their
4 The scheme has been running in Japan for teeth in the morning. Any item that achieves
a few years, and has taken off among fellow 1,000 votes is put forward for manufacture.
designers who use it to float their ideas instead
of committing to something that may flop. The 9 For now the test site is free to designers, but
company has recently set up a test site with Nishiyama says he will take ideas from other
retailer Muji to help develop products for its people, if there are at least ten of them who

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The future of design?
Level 3 Advanced
support an idea. His company will even produce
images for the site if needed.

10 “Because it’s a new thing and it’s experimental,

a lot of people are posting ideas and, it has
to be said, some of them are utterly rubbish,”
says Tonge. “But it can be surprising. There are
definitely regular people out there, who are not
designers, who have some good, interesting
ideas, and some of those may well end up on
the shelves.”

© Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 24/11/07

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Kohei Nishiyama is a… 4. Who can currently post ideas on the site?

a) ... financially independent, 40-year old, Tokyo- a) Japanese designers.
based inventor. b) Japanese and British designers.
b) ... 37-year old, London-based inventor. c) Anyone.
c) ... 37-year old, Tokyo-based inventor
5. Currently, the most popular idea is.....
2. Kohei Nishiyama wants to…..
a) ... the robotic dog.
a) ... retire by the time he’s 40. b) ... the vague clock.
b) ... change the face of shopping. c) ... the bathroom mirror that doubles
c) ... set up a web design company in London. as a whiteboard.

3. People who suggest successful designs can....

a) ... earn money for every item sold.
b) ... get a job with the company.
c) ... vote for other designs.

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The future of design?
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4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the words on the left and the right to make collocations from the article. Then look back over the
article to see how they were used.

grant improvements
float votes
post a product
make ideas
found a wish
suggest a comment / an image / an idea
develop a deal
receive a company

5 Discussion

Which statement about the article do you most agree with?

a) This is a great opportunity for new designers to get themselves and their products known.

b) Kohei Nishiyama has found an easy way to make money using other people’s ideas and hard work.

6 A new invention: Group work

What single item would make your life easier – either at work or at home? Think of something that would
help you in your everyday life.

What would your invention do? E.g. polish your shoes, put on your make up, clean the snow off your
garden path.

Make notes and present your ideas to the class.

6 Webquest

Go to the website in the article www.cuusoo.jp/muji.

Click on the pictures and see if you can guess what the designs are (the website is in Japanese).

291
‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

auction reservations unwitting snip curator

abound mannequin attached saggy compelling

1. If you are ____________ to something, you are very fond of it.

2. If something is ____________, it is interesting enough to attract and hold your attention.

3. ____________ clothes have lost their shape and often hang down in the middle.

4. If a person is an ____________ participant in something, they become involved in it without intending to.

5. An ____________ is a public sale where things are sold to the people who offer the highest amount of

money for them.

6. If you have ____________ about something, you have feelings of doubt about it.

7. A ____________ is a model of a human body used to display clothes.

8. If things ____________, they exist in large numbers.

9. If something is a ____________, you can buy it at a very cheap price.

10. A ____________ is someone whose job is to look after the objects in a museum.

2 What do you think?

Former Black Sabbath singer and American reality TV show star, Ozzy Osbourne, is being forced to sell
some of his possessions because there isn’t enough space for them in his Hollywood mansion. How much
do you think each of these items is worth? Match the items with the prices and then check your answers in
the text.

1. a sofa a. up to $1,200

2. a teacup and saucer b. up to $150

3. black velvet cushion c. up to $1,500

4. black satin coat d. up to $2,000

5. dog bed (gift from Elton John) e. up to $200

6. porcelain vegetable basket f. up to $400

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‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’
Level 3 Advanced

‘What am I bid for the four-poster him (Mary Rose Young teacup and saucer,
dog bed?’ estimate $200–400).

Dan Glaister in Los Angeles 5 Sharon, by all accounts, is the one with taste.
It is Sharon who defined the family’s Malibu
December 1, 2007
beachfront home by filling it with shabby chic,
which the younger members of the family know a
1 The dog bed takes pride of place in the auction of lot about.
items belonging to the premier husband and wife
team of reality TV. Forget arriviste LA types such 6 “This is where celebrity and stupidity meet in
as the Beckhams, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne vivid pinks and pastel colours,” declares James
are the original hard-shopping celebrity couple Comisar, curator of the Comisar Collection,
– as assembled belongings from their three “the world’s largest archive of TV artifacts”.
houses, displayed inside a guitar showroom in He is standing in a reproduction of Kelly
Beverly Hills, prove. Osbourne’s bedroom. Next to Kelly’s round bed
with pink headboard stand two matching pink
2 The origins of the Osbourne Collection auction and black nightstands. Nearby a lime green
lie in Sharon’s wish to downsize. So many plastic folding egg chair is perched, and in the
things, so little time, so some of it has to go. corner is Kelly herself! Actually, it’s not Kelly
Naturally, it’s all for the best possible cause but a mannequin dressed up as Kelly, all pink,
– Sharon’s colon cancer programme at an LA punk, lime green stuff.
hospital. Ozzy, however, has his reservations.
“Originally we were going to be selling a lot 7 But pink punk is not really why we are here. We
more,” explains Darren Julien, president of are here for the gothic, the black velvet cushions
Julien’s Auctions, “but Ozzy is very emotionally adorned with crucifixes and icons ($50–150
attached to a lot of his things.” each), the saggy black Ozzy jumper, the limited
edition Black Sabbath Converse sneakers
3 Julien knows this because when he visited the
(unworn), the floor-length black satin bat coat (13
Osbourne residence in Beverly Hills, Ozzy would buttons and bat wing scallops on chest, estimate
take to leaving notes stuck to doors bearing $800–1,200).”I don’t care if that chair came from
polite messages such as: “Auction people - Keep Macy’s or the Queen,” says Comisar. “Ozzy sat
Out!” Ozzy may have succeeded in keeping in it.”
some of his more prized possessions, but there
are still many on sale. 8 Treasures abound, whether it be the Osbourne
family light switches, each one carefully labelled
4 Some of them will be familiar to viewers of The – ‘Ozzy bathroom’ for example – and each one
Osbournes, the MTV show that catapulted the including several lighting moods, from ‘romantic’
apparently unwitting heavy metal legend into a to ‘panic’. Almost lost in a corner is Ozzy’s red
new and altogether more sinister celebrity. For Bentley, a present from Sharon. Ozzy is keen to
example, there is the ornate sofa where Ozzy see it go. He likes black, not red. “He said to me,
would sit fulminating against his remote control ‘I feel like I’m driving a fucking fire engine’,” the
(bids for the sofa invited at $1,000–2,000) and auctioneer confides.
the porcelain vegetable basket thing that featured
so prominently in the Osbourne’s fitted kitchen 9 Yet among the skulls, the crucifixes, the bible
(a snip, starting at $100–200). There is also, stands and the strangely compelling assemblage of
wonder of wonders, the actual coffee cup Ozzy, vintage car horns, the eye can’t help but be drawn
would clasp in his shaking hands as he tried to to the four-poster dog bed, a gift for Minnie, the
make sense of the seething modernity around Osbournes’ pet pomeranian, from Sir Elton John.

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Level 3 Advanced

10 “This represents the scope and absurdity their dog.’” Well, not any more. Dog bed
of celebrity-dumb in this country,” says seeks new owner, will go to good home for
Comisar, a surprising comment for a man $1,000–1,500.
who dedicates himself to collecting knick-
knacks from TV land. “A bed for a dog that © Guardian News & Media 2007
is the price of a small automobile. You First published in The Guardian, 01/12/07
wonder what goes through their minds that
Sir Elton would come to their home and say,
‘What these people really need is a bed for

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why are the Osbournes selling so many of their possessions?

a. Because Ozzy is tired of them.
b. Because Sharon wants to reduce the amount of stuff they have.
c. Because they are short of money.

2. What will happen to the money they make from the auction?
a. It will be given to a local charity.
b. It will help to pay off some of their debts.
c. They will use it to buy more things for the house.

3. What is Ozzy’s favourite colour?

a. red
b. blue
c. black

4. What does the curator think of the dog-bed?

a. He thinks it’s fantastic.
b. He thinks it’s absurd.
c. He thinks Ozzy would prefer a small automobile.

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‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find these words and expressions:

1. A four word expression meaning to occupy the most central or important place in a room (usually
because you are proud of something). (para 1)
2. A two word expression meaning something you value more than anything else. (para 3)
3. A verb meaning to suddenly put someone in an important position. (para 4)
4. An adjective meaning threatening to do something evil. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to speak or write angrily about something. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning an offer made at an auction. (para 4)
7. An adjective meaning old and in a bad condition. (para 5)
8. A noun meaning an object that is culturally or historically important. (para 6)
9. A verb meaning to say something to someone in secret. (para 8)
10. A two-word noun meaning small cheap objects used as decorations. (para 10)

5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed by prepositions

Which prepositions follow these words and expressions? Check your answers in the text.

1. fulminate _______
2. make sense _______
3. adorn _______
4. dedicate oneself _______
5. attached _______
6. succeed _______
7, familiar _______
8. scope _______

6 Vocabulary 3: Adverbial expressions

Match the adverbs from the text with their meanings.

1. naturally a. in a way that is easy to notice

2. carefully b. at first
3. prominently c. with a great deal of attention
4. apparently d. in a curious way
5. originally e. of course
6. strangely f. based on what you have heard and not on what you are sure is true

7 Discussion

Imagine that you had to get rid of 99% of your possessions. What five items would you keep and why?

295
Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer: Brainstorming

a) How many music genres can you think of in three minutes?

b) What kind of music do you like?

Try to find others in your group who have a similar taste in music to your own (i.e. if you like rock music, join with

others who like rock; if you prefer classical or opera, sit with others who like this kind of music).

2 Discussion: Questions

a) In your groups, discuss these questions:

a) How much does a CD cost in your country?

b) How many CDs do you buy in a month/year?

c) When did you last buy a CD or download music from the Internet?

d) What do you consider to be a fair price for a CD?

e) How much would you be willing to pay to download music?

f) Do you think more music is downloaded legally or illegally?

g) What do you think the ratio of legal to illegal downloads might be?

b) How do your answers reflect what is written in the article?

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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
Level 3 Advanced

Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for music industry struggling with the effects of
digital album digital piracy. Despite an increase in sales of live
Alexandra Topping concert tickets, CD sales are less profitable than
November 7, 2007 ever due to increased competition and piracy.

7 Industry bodies have estimated that worldwide,

1 When Radiohead invited their fans to pay as
people download 20 tracks illegally for every
much - or as little - as they liked for a digital
digital download they pay for, which may suggest
download of their new album, In Rainbows, it
Radiohead has surpassed most other artists in
was hailed as the beginning of a new era for the
this particular experiment.
struggling record industry.
© Guardian News & Media 2007
2 So what then, was the ultimate value of the
First published in The Guardian, 07/11/07
ground-breaking album and its test of the
constraints of the digital age? Around £2.90, it
would seem.

3 Research revealed yesterday that a mere 38%

of people downloading the album were willing to
part with anything at all. Two thirds paid only the
45p charge for handling.

4 The average amount that less frugal fans were

willing to pay was still a paltry $6 (£2.90) – far
below the price of a CD or the amount a digital
album would cost to download from the Apple
iTunes store.

5 During the first 29 days of October, 1.2 million

people worldwide visited the In Rainbows site,
with a significant percentage of visitors ultimately
downloading the album. The study showed that
38% of global downloaders of the album willingly
paid to do so, with the remaining 62% choosing
to pay nothing. The percentage downloading for
free in the US (60%) is only marginally lower than
in the rest of the world (64 %).

6 The Radiohead ‘honesty box’ experiment has

been closely watched by other artists, their
record labels and management companies.
It was widely seen as the most high-profile
attempt yet to restructure the economics of a

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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Radiohead found that...

a) ... nearly everybody was willing to pay for the album.

b) ... just over half of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.
c) ... just over a third of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.

2. Compared to other countries...

a) ... more...
b) ... less...
c) ... the same number of...
Americans downloaded the album for free.

3. The music industry has seen a decline in the profits made on sales of...

a) ... concert tickets.

b) ... music downloads.
c) ... music CDs.

4. According to the figures given for illegal downloads, Radiohead’s experiment...

a) ... has been a success.

b) ... has been unsuccessful.
c) ... has made no difference at all.

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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
Level 3 Advanced

4 Role play

Role cards:

Journalist
Decide which magazine or newspaper you write for.
Think of questions that you want to ask the others.
At the end of the role play you should decide what kind of spin you are going to give your article. Will it be for or
against Radiohead’s business model, or will your report be neutral?

A Radiohead band member A Consumer

Describe your business model. Explain how you buy music and why you prefer this method.
Give reasons why you chose this model. Say how much you are happy to pay for music.
Decide how you will sell or market your next album. Is Radiohead’s idea a good or bad thing for music buyers?

A member of a new band

Is it easy to break into the music scene?
What are you doing to get yourself known and to sell your new album (you’ve just recorded it)?
How does Radiohead’s business model affect new bands?

Note: Each role can be given to one or more people – the minimum amount of roles per group is two: the journalist
plus one other.
If possible, record the role play.

• For more background information, please refer to the onestopenglish weekly news lesson 57 from October 11th
2007, ‘Radiohead’s bid to revive the music industry’.

5 Writing: Follow up

Choose one of the following:

a) Write up a report of your role play in the style of an article for a newspaper or website.
b) Chose to be either a band member or consumer and write a letter to a newspaper stating your opinion.

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Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers taunt guards
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

audacious wriggle adjoining admonish inmate

unscathed scale tip-off homage feud

1. If someone emerges ______________ from a dangerous or bad situation, they are not harmed or damaged by it.

2. If you pay ______________ to an artist, you show respect by using their style or ideas in your own work or in

something that you do.

3. If you ______________ someone, you tell them that you do not approve of something they have done.

4. A ______________ is a warning or secret information given to someone.

5. A ______________ is an angry disagreement between two people or groups that continues for a long time.

6. If you ______________ a wall or a fence, you climb over it.

7. An ______________ is someone who is kept in a prison or an institution.

8. An ______________ act is one that is done with extreme confidence, despite difficulties and risks.

9. An ______________ room or property is one that is next to and connected to another room or property.

10. If you ______________ through a small opening, you do it by twisting and turning your body.

2 Order of events

The text is about an escape from a jail in the USA. Put these sentences into a logical order and then read
the text and check your answers.

a. They split up and went in different directions along a railway line.

b. Then they jumped from the cell-block roof.

c. The two prisoners used metal wire to remove the cement around a concrete block in their cell.

d. A reward of $8,000 has been offered for their recapture.

e. They climbed an eight-metre high razor-wire fence.

f. They removed the block and squeezed through the narrow hole.

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Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers “I think this is a very serious situation,” he
taunt guards admonished reporters at a press conference.
“I really prefer not to compare with any movie,
• Hunt on for two prisoners after movie-style breakout
although I can understand why you might
• Escapees used pinups to cover holes in cell walls
because it does look certainly very similar to
Ed Pilkington in New York some of them.” Then, in a complete contradiction
December 19, 2007 of his previous position, he added: “Except in The
Shawshank Redemption they had a better poster
on the wall.”
1 They really rubbed it in. Not only did they leave
a handwritten note that said, “Thank you officer 5 From the world of Tim Robbins, the inmates
for the tools needed. You’re a real pal! Happy moved into the realm of Steve McQueen. To put
holidays.” They also signed it with a smiley wardens off the scent they padded out their beds
face. The note was a going-away card from two with pillows to make dummy sleeping prisoners.
prisoners in a New Jersey jail who on Saturday Once out of the cell they hurled themselves
broke out of a high-security wing armed only from a roof 10 metres high. No blood was found,
with a thick metal wire and a metal wheel used suggesting they landed unscathed.
to turn off water pipes. The audacious breakout
appeared to combine an intimate knowledge 6 After that, all they had to do was scale an eight-
of Hollywood prison films, an ability to wriggle metre razor-wire fence, which didn’t seem to
through small holes worthy of Houdini and a bother them either. Tracks in the snow suggest
talent for parkour, the urban hobby of leaping off they parted company and headed in opposite
high buildings. directions along a railway line.

2 Police were still searching last night for Jose 7 It emerged that this was the second time Blunt
Espinosa, 20, and Otis Blunt, 32, as details had tried to break out using the wire method.
emerged about how they pulled off the escape The first occasion was nipped in the bud in
from Union County jail. They began by using September after a tip-off from a fellow inmate,
the wire to scratch away the cement around a and he was moved to what had been assumed to
concrete block in the adjoining wall between their be a more secure part of the prison.
two cells, B310 and B311. By removing the block,
8 Blunt was being held awaiting trial for robbery
Blunt managed to squeeze his 1.79-metre (5ft
and shooting at a corner shop. Espinosa had
9in) (11½st) frame through a 20cm by 40cm hole
already pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was
into Espinosa’s cell. From there, Espinosa, who
awaiting sentencing in which he would have
is 1.67 metres tall (5ft 5in) and 10st 10lb, and
received at least 17 years. He had been the
Blunt both wriggled out of a similar hole that had
driver in a drive-by shooting in New Jersey in
been opened by removing a block separating
what prosecutors said was a gang feud.
Espinosa’s cell from the outside world.
9 A reward of $8,000 has been offered for the
3 Investigators found that the men had disguised
men’s recapture, and a full inquiry ordered into
the holes by using the heavy metal wheel to
prison security.
crush up the rubble and hide it in plastic boxes
used to store their personal possessions. They
© Guardian News & Media 2007
had then, in an apparent movie homage, placed
First published in The Guardian, 19/12/07
posters of women in bikinis over the holes.

4 A local prosecutor, Ted Romankow expressed

his displeasure about the Hollywood connection.

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3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the information given in the text.

1. Why is the placing of posters of women in bikinis over the holes described as ‘an apparent movie homage’?
a. Because the escaped prisoners liked The Shawshank Redemption.
b. Because the same kind of thing happens in Hollywood movies.
c. Because the prisoners wanted to put the wardens off the scent.

2. Why was the local prosecutor angry with the press?

a. Because they wrote false reports about the escape.
b. Because they romanticized the escape by comparing it to a Hollywood movie.
c. Because the escape was quite different from what happens in the movies.

3. Why did Blunt’s first attempt to escape fail?

a. Because he was moved to a more secure part of the prison.
b. Because he couldn’t squeeze through the hole.
c. Because another prisoner told the prison authorities he was planning to escape.

4. How did the prison authorities know the men were not hurt when they jumped from the roof?
a. Because the roof was only 10 metres high.
b. Because the men parted company.
c. Because no blood was found at the scene.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. An adjective meaning extremely detailed. (para 1)

2. A verb meaning to jump. (para 1)
3. A noun meaning broken pieces of stone and brick. (para 3)
4. A noun meaning a difference between two statements that makes it impossible for both of them to be true. (para 4)
5. A five-word expression meaning to do something to try to prevent someone from discovering the truth. (para 5)
6. An adjective meaning designed to look real but not real. (para 5)
7. A verb meaning to go in a particular direction. (para 6)
8. A four-word expression meaning to stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking action at an early stage
of its development. (para 7)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these phrasal verbs from the text.

rub in pull off break out crush up pad out turn off

1. If you _________ _________ of a prison, you escape from it.

2. If you _________ something _________, you fill it with soft material.

3. If you _________ something _________, you break it into very small pieces by pressing it hard.

4. If you _________ it _________, you remind someone of something stupid they have done.

5. If you _________ _________ a power or water supply, you switch it off.

6. If you _________ something _________, you succeed in doing something difficult.

6 Vocabulary 3: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.

1. offer a. displeasure

2. leave b. possessions

3. express c. company

4. part d. a reward

5. store e. an inquiry

7 Discussion

What other ways are there of escaping from prison?

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1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

launch clogged welding stringent hub

affluent latent decade subsidized miniscule

1. If a regulation or test is ________________, it is extremely strict in order to ensure high standards.

2. An ________________ person is one who is rich enough to buy things for pleasure.

3. ________________ means extremely small.

4. A ________________ is a period of ten years.

5. If a street is ________________, it is completely blocked by heavy traffic.

6. A ________________ is an occasion when a company starts selling a new product.

7. If an activity or product is ________________, part of its cost is paid for by the authorities.

8. ________________ is a process in which two pieces of metal are joined by being heated and pressed together.

9. A ________________ is the most important place where an activity takes place.

10. If something is ________________, it exists but is not obvious and has not developed yet.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. India has a population of two billion.

2. The currency of India is the rupee.

3. China currently has the fastest-growing car market in the world.

4. One in every two people in the USA owns a car.

5. Renault produces the world’s cheapest car.

6. Traffic in Delhi moves at an average speed of less than five miles an hour.

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India gears up for mass motoring For now Tata remains focused on India, which
revolution with £1,260 car analysts predict will become the fastest growing
Environmentalists fear city smog nightmare if car market – overtaking China – in five years.
millions of Tata’s Nanos hit the road 4 The ‘people’s car’ is also a realization of the Tata
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi chairman’s dream: to put every Indian family
January 11, 2008 behind a steering wheel. He says the thought
came to him first while watching families on
motorbikes travelling through dusty streets. “The
1 It has no radio, no boot, no airbag, no passenger-
father driving the scooter, his young kid standing
side mirror and just one long windscreen wiper.
in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding
And if you want air-conditioning to deal with
a baby. It led me to wonder whether one could
India’s summer heat, you’ll have to buy the
conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of
deluxe version. India’s Tata Group has unveiled
transport for such a family.”
the world’s cheapest car, the Nano, which goes
on sale later this year with a price tag of 100,000 5 At just 100,000 rupees, excluding sales tax,
rupees (£1,260) to bring motoring to the country’s the Nano is less than half the price of the next
billion-strong masses. For 70-year-old Ratan cheapest car on the road in India and a bit more
Tata, the group’s chairman, the launch of the than an upmarket motorcycle. Analysts say that
Nano is a landmark in transport, comparable to amid an economic boom there is a latent demand
the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, from increasingly affluent Indians trading up from
or the first moonshot. But environmentalists say a ‘two-wheeler’ to a car. If just 10% of motorcycle
the new car could bring about a ‘nightmare’ of owners switched to Tata’s Nano, it would mean
choking pollution and clogged roads. 1m extra cars on India’s roads a year.
2 Like a modern-day version of Henry Ford, Tata’s 6 “Tata have been very smart and have studied
idea is of an affordable car that is light and the market very carefully,” said Abdul Majeed,
simple, yet made from high-quality materials. a partner in the automotive division of
The result is a jelly bean-shaped vehicle into PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Like Ford’s Model
which five adults can squeeze. The basic model T, which drove the American motor boom in
makes no concession to luxury: its price has the early 20th century, Tata will give the Indian
been kept low by using more plastic than steel, consumer a tough, easy to drive, cheap to
and swapping hi-tech glue for traditional welding. maintain and, most of all, affordable car. The
Rival manufacturers had questioned whether the market possibilities are huge.”
car would meet safety standards, especially if the
company plans to export such models to Europe, 7 But environmentalists say the possibility of mass
which requires cars to meet stringent crash tests. sales of the Nano has worrying implications for
Tata officials said the car had been designed so it the environment. Major cities in India are now
could be easily strengthened with metal plates to wreathed in smog and rush hours have spread
meet tougher safety standards. long into the night. In Delhi traffic now crawls, on
average, at less than nine miles an hour – half
3 Conceived four years ago, the Nano has already that a decade ago. As congestion builds up and
revolutionized the motor industry. Days before cars slow, greenhouse gases emissions increase
Tata unveiled the car, Ford announced it would more rapidly. India’s vehicles spewed 219m
increase spending by $500m (£250m) a year to tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in
make India a hub for ‘small-car manufacturing’. 2005. Experts say that figure will jump almost
Last October, Renault said it was considering seven-fold to 1,470 tonnes by 2035 if car travel
making a $5,000 car in India for export to the US. remains unchecked.

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8 “In terms of emission standards we are five to £35bn on new road projects. Farmland has been
10 years behind Europe. We do not tax diesel handed over to industry for the factories to build
properly and hence subsidize more dirty car new cars.
use,” said Sunita Narain of Delhi’s Centre for
Science and Environment. “We need public 10 In the case of Tata’s new car, more than 1,000
transport to ensure mobility, not policies that acres of luxuriantly fertile fields in West Bengal’s
promote private cars, otherwise we will meet Singur district were acquired to set up the
people’s aspirations, but not their needs.” Nano plant. The factory will be able to churn
out 250,000 cars a year. Thousands of farmers
9 The motor lobby insists that Indian car ownership who once raised four crops a year have been
is minuscule in per capita terms: seven or eight evicted to make way for the new facility. Last
out of every 1,000 people, compared with more month Shankar Patra, a 50-year-old farmer who
than 500 in America. The number of private cars saw his fields turned over to the Tata plant, killed
in India – about 13m – is only a little more than himself. “Without our fields there is no work for
half the number of cars in America at the onset us. The village will die,” said Patra’s 22-year-old
of the Great Depression of the 1930s. India’s son, Pratap. “We have nothing, but the rest of
mass motoring boom is already reshaping the India will have a new car.”
country. Slowly cities are giving way to wide-
© Guardian News & Media 2008
flung suburbs. The government is spending
First published in The Guardian, 11/01/08

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the information given in the text.

1. Why do environmentalists describe the Nano as a ‘nightmare’?

a. Because it has no air-conditioning.
b. Because the car will be sold in large numbers and cause more pollution.
c. Because it is very cheap.

2. How has the Nano revolutionized the motor industry?

a. It uses plastic rather than metal and glue rather than welding.
b. Five adults can squeeze into it.
c. It has attracted other car-makers to India.

3. What solution does the Centre for Science and Environment suggest?
a. Better public transport.
b. More expensive cars not cheaper ones.
c. Motorcycles not cars.

4. What effect is car ownership having on Indian cities?

a. It enables people to reach the suburbs easily.
b. It is increasing environmental pollution.
c. It is putting every Indian family behind a steering wheel.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the following words and expressions in the text.

1. A verb meaning to announce something officially that was previously a secret. (para 1)

2. A two-word verb meaning to make something happen. (para 1)

3. An adjective meaning cheap enough for ordinary people to afford. (para 2)

4. A verb meaning to think of something such as a new idea, plan or design. (para 3)

5. A two-word expression meaning surrounded by or covered in. (para 7)

6. A noun meaning a situation where a place is crowded with vehicles. (para 7)

7. A verb meaning to make something flow out with a lot of force. (para 7)

8. A verb meaning to legally force someone to leave their home or land. (para 10)

5 Vocabulary 2: Chunks

Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.

1. quality from materials high made _________________________________________

2. car the growing market fastest _________________________________________

3. affordable weather of a form safe all transport _________________________________________

4. the less next car the price half cheapest than of _________________________________________

5. the in 20th early century _________________________________________

6. the worrying for environment implications _________________________________________

7. ten Europe five years to behind _________________________________________

8. than hour nine less an miles _________________________________________

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6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word
expressions from the text.

1. rush a. gases

2. windscreen b. boom

3. safety c. wiper

4. steering d. tax

5. sales e. wheel

6. economic f. hour

7. greenhouse g. transport

8. public h. standards

7 Discussion

Should car ownership and car travel be restricted in order to protect the environment?

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1 Key words

Write these words into the definitions below.

race issue wary alienate controversial tinged

poll embark prominent (political) camp tie

1. When you do this you start or begin doing something that may be difficult. ________________

2. This term is being used more frequently in US politics these days when there is any controversy that includes
possible racism. ________________

3. When people get an equal amount of points or votes we say that the result is a draw or a ________________.

4. This is a term for a group of people who support the same person. ________________

5. When something is racially ________________ it contains a small amount of racism.

6. When you are ________________, you are usually careful or nervous.

7. When you ________________ someone, they no longer like you or want to support you.

8. A ________________ subject is one that many people disagree with or do not approve of.

9. When someone or something is ________________ they or it are well-known and in the public eye.

10. A ________________ is the process that asks many people their opinion about a certain topic.

2 What do you know?

Find the answers to the following questions by skim-reading the article.

1. How many US states are mentioned in the article?

2. How many candidates for the Democratic Party are mentioned in the article?
3. What do Obama’s team accuse Clinton of doing?
4. What do Clinton’s team accuse Obama of doing?
5. According to the polls, who is currently in the lead?

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Clintonand Obama prepare to face off in black issues when Obama “was doing something
following round of attacks in the neighbourhood: I won’t say what he was
doing, but he said it in his book”.
Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in
Washington
9 Johnson later said that his comments referred
January 14, 2008 to Obama’s work as a community organizer in
Chicago “and nothing else. Any other suggestion
1 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came face-to- is simply irresponsible and incorrect”. The
face on January 15 for the first time since their Obama team demanded an apology.
two camps embarked on the dangerous strategy
of trying to gain politically from the race issue. 10 Bill Shaheen, a New Hampshire Clinton
campaign official, resigned last month after
2 After Obama’s victory in Iowa and Clinton’s in suggesting Democrats should be wary of
New Hampshire, the two candidates – who met nominating Obama because of his past drug use.
for a debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday – were
looking to break the tie in Nevada on Saturday or 11 In what seems to have been another misjudged
South Carolina the following week. remark, Obama’s wife, Michelle, campaigning
for him in South Carolina, also brought up
3 The increasingly bitter and ugly exchanges over race. Addressing African-Americans sceptical
race reflect the importance of South Carolina, about his ability to win, she said Iowa, which is
where about half the Democratic voters are predominantly white, voted for Obama. “Ain’t no
African-American. black people in Iowa,” she said.

4 The Obama team today accused Clinton of being 12 The language could alienate some white voters
“engaged in the politics of personal destruction”. and the comment is also factually wrong – there
are 75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
5 The Clinton team has been forced to defend
themselves over a series of remarks that have 13 John Edwards, who is trailing at 11%, supported
been interpreted as racially tinged. The most Obama in the race row. The former North
controversial was a comment from Clinton that Carolina senator has recently gone out of his
suggested she was trying to minimize the role of way to find a common cause with Obama. The
Martin Luther King in the civil rights era. association with Obama has led to speculation
that Edwards is trying to become Obama’s vice
6 The Clinton team accused Obama of distorting presidential running mate.
the remarks. Obama rejected the charges.
14 A legal dispute over the role of unions in
7 Meanwhile, Bob Johnson, a founder of the Black Nevada has also raised issues of race, with
Entertainment Television who is among Clinton’s Obama and Clinton competing for the support
most prominent African-American supporters, of Latinos, who make up about a quarter of the
revived the issue of Obama’s teenage drug use, state’s population.
which he wrote about in his memoir, Dreams
From My Father. 15 Obama campaigned in Nevada on 14 January
while Clinton held an event in New York, fixed
8 During an introduction for Clinton at an event, before the row, to mark Martin Luther King’s
Johnson said Hillary and Bill Clinton were engaged birthday the following day.

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16 A poll for the Washington Post-ABC News today
showed Obama closing the gap nationwide, with
Clinton on 42%, down 11% since last month,
and Obama on 37%, up 14%. But a national
CBS News-New York Times poll had Clinton on
42% to Obama’s 27%, almost unchanged since
last month.

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Guardian, 14/01/08

3 Vocabulary 1: Lexical fields

Find words in the article which you particularly associate with politics in the USA.
Write at least ten and compare them with your neighbour.

US politics

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4 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + noun collocations

Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations and explain what they
mean in the context of the article.

community official
dangerous destruction
common row
bitter cause
personal organizer
national poll
race strategy
campaign exchanges

5 Discussion

One of the reasons behind the controversy is that Obama publically admitted taking drugs in his youth. Do
you think that people’s past acts should affect their chances of getting a particular job?

Support your answer with examples.

6 Webquest

Check out US websites such as the Washington Post or CNN to see who is currently leading in the
campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

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1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

ubiquitous flicker flick flip sedentary

anecdotal revival decline bug pastime

1. A ____________ is a reduction in the amount or quality of something.

2. A ____________ is something people do regularly for fun in their free time.

3. A ____________ is the process of becoming active, successful or popular again.

4. A ____________ is a sudden strong enthusiasm for doing something.

5. If an activity is described as ____________, it involves a lot of sitting and not much exercise.

6. If something is ____________, it can be found everywhere.

7. If evidence is ____________ , it is based on someone’s personal experience or information rather than on facts.

8. If you ____________ from one TV channel to another, you keep changing channels quickly.

9. If a light or a TV screen ____________, it goes on and off or becomes brighter or less bright in quick succession.

10. If you ____________ your eyes from one thing to another, you move them quickly.

2 What do you think?

The article is about TV, the Internet and reading habits of British children. Decide whether the following
statements are True (T) or False (F) and then check your answers in the text.

1. More than 80% of schoolchildren turn on the TV when they return home from school.

2. Only 50% of schoolchildren read books in their own time every day.

3. More than 50% of schoolchildren in Britain own a computer or a laptop.

4. More than half the children surveyed have their own profile on a social networking site.

5. Almost three in four thirteen to sixteen year olds watch TV in bed.

6. 95% have a TV in their bedroom.

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Life through a lens: How Britain’s up from four hours and 40 minutes five years ago.
children eat, sleep and breathe TV The rise may have come at the expense of reading
books for pleasure, which, in a development that will
Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent
alarm many parents, continues to decline as a regular
January 16, 2008 pastime. While four out of five children read books in
their own time, only a quarter do so daily and 53% at
1 A generation of ‘multitasking’ children are living least once a week.
their daily lives – including eating and falling
asleep – to the accompaniment of television, 5 The report, based on interviews with 1,147
according to a survey of youngsters’ media children in 60 schools around England, Scotland
habits. The flickering of the screen accompanies and Wales, found television viewing now
most of them before they go to school, when averages 2.6 hours a day across the age group,
they return home, as they consume their evening though one in ten say they watch more than
meal and then – for 63%, far more than read a four hours daily. The survey, which has been
book each day – in bed at night. The study of conducted annually for 14 years, asked for the
five to 16-year-olds shows that four out of five first time whether children watched television
children now have a TV set in their bedroom. while eating dinner or in bed before going to
sleep. It found that 58% watch during their
2 So ubiquitous has television become that many evening meal, while 63% lie in bed watching
children now combine it with other activities, the screen (rising to almost three-quarters of 13
including social networking online, flicking their to 16-year-olds). Two-thirds – particularly the
eyes from laptop to TV screen and back again. youngest children – watch before school, and
Even if they are focusing on the television, 83% turn on the television after returning home.
young people are now reluctant to commit to
one programme, with boys in particular often 6 Rosemary Duff, Childwise research director, said
flipping between channels to keep up with two television was now “almost woven into children’s
simultaneous shows at once. The findings, lives”, but added that the quality of viewing had
from the market research agency Childwise, changed. “A lot of television viewing has lost the
will fuel concerns that childhood is increasingly ‘pay it attention’ feel it used to have. It used to be
about private space and sedentary activities less ubiquitous but much higher in its importance
and less about play, social interaction or the whereas now it is widespread but just part of the
child’s own imagination. background, not just at home but wherever you go.”

3 The government’s recent Children’s Plan, while 7 Anecdotal evidence indicated that children now
attempting to calm panic over claims of ‘toxic’ multitask, keeping one eye on the television
childhood, focused on improving play facilities as they flick through magazines or use the
as a means of ensuring a more balanced life computer, Duff added. Boys asked by the
for screen-bound youngsters. Today’s survey company to choose between programmes on
findings indicate a revival in television-watching different channels frequently refused, saying
among children after three years of decline, they would ‘watch both’. “They flick from one to
driven mainly by more girls watching soaps such another and cannot conceive that they should
as Hollyoaks and EastEnders. have to make a decision. They are puzzled that
you should put them in a situation of having to
4 Internet use – now that the social networking bug is make one or anther choice.”
biting younger than ever – is also continuing to grow
at a far greater rate than the brief fall-off in TV viewing. 8 Computers are also now a key part of children’s
That means British children spend an average of private worlds. “The Internet is now an essential
five hours and 20 minutes in front of a screen a day, part of most young people’s lives,” says the

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study, with 85% of five to 16-year-olds accessing safeguards. Children as young as eight are now
the Net, and over a third (including a quarter signing up.
of five to six-year-olds) owning a computer or
laptop of their own. On average, they go online 10 Kathy Evans, policy director of the Children’s
just over four times a week, spending two hours Society, which is conducting its own inquiry
each time. into modern childhood, said there was now
“mounting public and professional concern
9 The survey shows a rise in Internet use, about the potential impact of children’s TV and
particularly among younger children, Internet viewing habits”. The inquiry will report
driven primarily by a boom in the use of next month on children and technology as part
social networking sites, primarily Bebo. of its two-year investigation.
Communication, says the report, “has overtaken
fun (e.g. online games) as the main reason to © Guardian News & Media 2008
use the Internet and study is now far behind”. First published in The Guardian, 16/01/08
Almost three quarters (72%) of children have
visited a social networking site, and over half
have set up their own profile – sometimes
lying about their age to sidestep minimum age

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What is the main reason for the increase in the 4. Which of these best describes the conclusions of
number of hours children spend in front of a screen? the survey?

a. More girls are watching soaps. a. People are worried that children are spending too
b. There has been a large increase in Internet use. much time in front of TV and computer screens.
c. The use of social-networking sites. b. Children’s use of computers and TV viewing
habits should be regarded as normal.
2. What does the phrase ‘children now multitask’ mean? c. The Internet is now an essential part of
people’s lives.
a. They perform several tasks on their computers.
b. They can watch TV, read a magazine and use a
computer at the same time.
c. They are unable to make firm decisions.

3. What is the main reason for children’s use of

the Internet?

a. To play online games.

b. To send emails.
c. To use social networking sites like Bebo.

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Life through a lens
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4 Find the word

Find the following words or phrases in the text.

1. A verb meaning to eat or drink something. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning not willing to do something. (para 2)
3. A two word expression meaning to increase worries. (para 2)
4. An adverb meaning every year. (para 5)
5. A two-word expression meaning an integral part of. (para 6)
6. A verb meaning to imagine or think of doing something. (para 7)
7. A verb meaning to avoid something difficult or unpleasant. (para 9)
8. A participle meaning increasing. (para 10)

5 Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations.

1. conduct a. attention
2. fuel b. a website
3. pay c. a magazine
4. flick through d. the Internet
5. make e. a survey
6. access f. a decision
7. visit g. safeguards
8. sidestep h. concerns

6 Expressions with prepositions

Fill the gaps in the expressions from the text using prepositions.

1. at the expense _______

2. based _______
3. to the accompaniment _______
4. focus _______
5. to commit _______
6. a rise _______ Internet use
7. concern _______
8. driven _______

7 Discussion

How much time do you spend each day watching TV and using your computer?
Should parents be worried by the amount of time their children spend watching TV and using computers?
Is the decline in reading a worrying trend?

316
A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Write the key words into the definitions and decide whether they are verbs, nouns or adjectives.

nautical ram fleet clash uncompromising

harpoon carcass pursue vessel tactics

1. When you _____________ someone, you chase them in order to catch them. noun / verb / adjective
2. If a vehicle or boat _____________ something, it hits it very hard. noun / verb / adjective
3. When you hit a whale with a weapon made of a blade on a rope, you _____________ it. noun / verb / adjective
4. When you _____________ with someone, you argue violently or fight with them. noun / verb / adjective
5. The body of a dead animal is a _____________. noun / verb / adjective
6. _____________ is a formal word for a large boat or ship. noun / verb / adjective
7. A _____________ is a group of vehicles, planes, boats or trains, usually owned by one organization or person.

noun / verb / adjective

8. _____________ are a particular method or plan for achieving something (usually used in the plural form).

noun / verb / adjective

9. _____________ is a word meaning relating to ships or sailing. noun / verb / adjective

10. When someone is _____________, they are very determined and not willing to change their opinions, plans, or

actions. noun / verb / adjective

2 Skim-reading

Skim the text to find the answers to these questions.

1. How many ships does the article mention and who do they belong to?
2. Who is the captain of the MV Steve Irwin?
3. Which organization believes in non-violent action?
4. What happened when the three characters met last year in the Antarctic?
5. What happened to Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts? Why?
6. What are the main differences between Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd?

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A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced
A tale of two ships extraordinary courage – or stupidity – Giles Lane
John Vidal from Brighton and Benjamin Potts from Australia
January 17, 2008 leapt aboard the Yusshin Maru No. 2 from the
Irwin to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain
1 An epic battle is being fought out across thousands requesting him to leave the whale sanctuary. The
of miles of empty ocean, with just two boats Japanese, not believing their luck, promptly held
struggling to stop Japan’s whaling expedition in them captive and sped over the horizon. This
the Antarctic. The trouble is that one belongs to sparked an international diplomatic incident.
Greenpeace and the other to Sea Shepherd, rival
organizations that are as likely to fight each other 7 The drama is reaching its climax. The last time all
as the whalers they are hunting down. these characters met in the Antarctic, almost a year
ago, there was an international incident and several
2 The nautical drama is being played out between near disasters. Over a period of more than a week,
seven ships deep in the wild, and normally acid and mud, as well as water cannons and nail
extremely lonely, Southern Ocean on the edge of guns, were used. There were collisions, shouting
Antarctica. The Nisshin Maru, a large Japanese matches and three distress flares had to be
whaling factory ship, is steaming due south at 15 launched – first by Sea Shepherd when one of its
knots in heavy seas with a crew of 80 and with dinghies got separated and its crew was stranded
the carcasses of possibly 50 whales on board. on an ice floe, then by one of the Japanese ships
when it was rammed by the Sea Shepherd ship
3 Two miles behind it, in full sight but not in radio the Robert Hunter, and lastly by the Nisshin Maru
contact, is the Esperanza, a Greenpeace vessel again when it caught fire and one man died. As is
with a volunteer crew of 21 nationalities and a customary at sea, everyone stopped fighting each
Dutch captain. The Esperanza is well equipped other to help those in distress.
but it looks tiny beside the vast whaling vessel.
8 This time, the environmentalists are aware they
4 Steaming towards both ships is the MV Steve could be sailing in to a carefully laid trap set by
Irwin, the black-painted flagship of Captain the Japanese fleet, which is clearly intending to
Paul Watson and the California-based Sea regroup and draw in its hunters. “Anything could
Shepherd Conservation Society, the world’s most happen”, said Greenpeace’s Dave Walsh, on
uncompromising environmental enforcement board the Esperanza.
group. His crew is smaller, but – like that of
the Esperanza – is made up of brilliant and 9 It is clear that there is far more at stake than a
committed seamen. chase. Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace might
both be pursuing the same whaling ships, but
5 The MV Steve Irwin is roughly 2,500 miles south- at play in the southern ocean are large egos,
west of Fremantle in Australia, pursuing a group corporate pride, old jealousies, intense rivalries,
of four small whaling ships that the Japanese are distrust and fundamental differences of opinion
using to kill nearly 1,000 whales in the Antarctic about the environment, protest and confrontation.
whale sanctuary this year. This taskforce of While the crews undoubtedly have deep respect
four ships is thought to be heading towards the for each other in such dangerous conditions, they
Nisshin Maru to offload any whales they may are in official or semi-official conflict.
have harpooned and pick up stores.
10 The two organizations, Greenpeace and Sea
6 But the chase is serious because one of these Shepherd, are as different as chalk and cheese.
smaller whalers, the Yusshin Maru No. 2, has The tactics they use are different. Sea Shepherd
already clashed with the Irwin and ran from it with thinks nothing of chucking acid, stink bombs,
two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew. In an act of urine or even chocolate cake at its adversaries.

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A tale of two ships
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It will try to foul ships by putting ropes round 12 Watson is far more personal. “We are obsessed
their propellers and, led by Watson, the crew with stopping the cetacean Death Star, that
has crept on to its enemies’ boats at night vicious, cruel killing machine otherwise known
and opened the stopcocks to sink them. as the Nisshin Maru, and her fleet of boats
Greenpeace’s main tactic is to put itself between armed with explosive harpoons. We know that if
the whales and the whalers, or in the paths of we kill the whales, the sharks, the seals and the
survey ships – not safe, but highly effective. Its sea turtles, we will destroy the very foundation
rule is non-violent direct action. of life in the oceans,” he says.

11 Greenpeace said, “We’re not working together 13 Both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace know they
in any way. We have our interpretation [of will meet in the Antarctic regularly and fall out
direct action] and they have theirs, and we with each other constantly. But meanwhile, there
stick to ours,” said a spokesperson. “We are have been no whales killed in the Southern
a confrontational organization. We will put Ocean in the past six days.
ourselves at risk, but no one else. We would
never endanger sailors on other ships. Our © Guardian News & Media 2008
argument is not with the guys on the ships; it is First published in The Guardian, 17/01/08
with the [Japanese] ministries”.

3 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the verbs on the left and the nouns on the right to make collocations. In which contexts were they
used in the article?

spark life
ram whales
open a battle
set tactics
chuck a stopcock
fight an international incident
harpoon a trap
deliver acid
use a ship
destroy a letter

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A tale of two ships
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4 Debate: Role play

Read the article again and make notes on your role card (1 card per student).
Then have a debate in groups of three or more. Be prepared to defend your position.

You are a crew member on the following You are a crew member on the following You are a crew member on the following
ship: Esperanza (Greenpeace) ship: MV Steve Irwin (Sea Shepherd) ship: Esperanza (Greenpeace)
Your political and environmental beliefs Your political and environmental beliefs Your political and environmental beliefs
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
Non-violent direct action Your tactics Your job
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

7 Webquest

Look at these websites to find out about the latest developments in the sea battle:
• www.greenpeace.org/international/
• www.seashepherd.org/
• www.whaling.jp/english/index.html

You can also read a further Guardian article at:

• www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/29/whaling.conservation

320
Fly to Australia in under five hours
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

funding reusable demand spin-off vast

hitch impact conventional hypersonic claustrophobia

1. ________________ means extremely large.

2. A ________________ is a problem that is not particularly serious.

3. If something is ________________, it can be used again, often more than once.

4. ________________ is another word for effect or influence.

5. A ________________ speed is a speed which is several times faster than the speed of sound.

6. If something is ________________, it is of the usual, traditional or accepted type, instead of being

new or different.

7. If there is ________________ for a particular product or service, a lot of people want it.

8. ________________ is the money that a government or organization provides for a particular purpose.

9. ________________ is the fear of being in a small or crowded place.

10. A ________________ is something good or useful that happens unexpectedly because of something else.

2 What do you know?

The text is about hypersonic air travel. Which of these statements do you think are True (T) and which are
False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. Hypersonic air travel would make it possible to fly from Brussels to Australia in less than 4 hours.
2. A hypersonic plane would use liquid hydrogen rather than normal aviation fuel.
3. A hypersonic plane would not be able to have windows for the passengers to see out.
4. The plane would fly at the height of the ozone layer.
5. A hypersonic plane, flying at five times the speed of sound, could be operating within five years.
6. The route from Brussels to Australia would take the plane over the South Pole.

321
Fly to Australia in under five hours
Level 3 Advanced
The hypersonic plane designed to 4 Reaction Engines estimates that the cost of the
reach Australia in under five hours flight would be similar to a current first class fare.
UK firm unveils exploratory plans for 3,000mph Moreover, the company claims, the plane would
eco-friendly passenger jet not leave much of a carbon footprint. The key to
the design is the fuel it would use. Conventional
Steven Morris
fuels would not be able to get the A2 up to the
February 5, 2008
necessary speed, and so Reaction Engines has
designed an engine that would run on liquid
1 The artist’s impression looks like something hydrogen. A spin-off is that liquid hydrogen is
out of a science fiction film. But a hypersonic potentially much greener than conventional
passenger plane that could fly to Australia from fuel – rather than producing vast amounts of
northern Europe in less than five hours has carbon emissions, it gives off water vapour and
been designed in Britain. With funding from the nitrous oxide.
European Space Agency, a team of engineers
5 Another advantage of the design is that, while
and scientists has come up with the A2, a plane
the 132 metre-long A2 is much bigger than
they believe could carry 300 passengers at a top
conventional jets, it would be lighter than a
speed of more than 3,000mph. The project is part
Boeing 747 and could land on current airport
of an EU drive to push forward the boundaries
runways. But there are a few hitches. For one
of air travel. Scientists were asked to find out
thing, the A2 might not be great for anyone who
if it was possible to build a commercial plane
suffers from claustrophobia, as it does not have
that used the sort of technology more closely
portholes. The heat generated by travelling so
associated with travel to the edge of space
quickly makes it difficult to install windows that
and beyond.
are secure and not too heavy. One solution
2 UK-based Reaction Engines designs and Reaction Engines has proposed is to install
develops space transport and hi-tech propulsion flat screen panels where the window would be,
systems. Its directors are experts in fields ranging showing images of the scene outside.
from space rockets and weapons systems to
6 In recent days the design has been discussed
nuclear power. One of the firm’s main projects is
excitedly on science and environment talkboards.
the development of Skylon, an unpiloted reusable
Some believe it would be too expensive to
space plane intended to provide inexpensive
produce commercially. There is also concern
and reliable access to space, which is expected
that producing the liquid hydrogen could prove
to take approximately ten years to develop and
to be more environmentally damaging than
be capable of transporting 12 tonnes of cargo
Reaction Engines believes. And there are fears
into space.
that because the plane would fly at around the
3 Alan Bond, a senior engineer and managing height of the ozone layer, it could cause damage
director at the company, said the A2 could be to the atmosphere.
operating within 25 years if there was demand
7 Still, Bond said that within 25 years 10% of air
for it. Bond said: “The A2 is designed to leave
travel could be hypersonic. Some routes, such as
Brussels international airport, fly quietly and
Europe to India, would not work so well, because
subsonically out into the north Atlantic at mach
the plane would have to go a long way round to
0.9 before reaching mach 5 across the North
avoid having to travel at supersonic speeds over
Pole and heading over the Pacific to Australia.
populated areas. But he thought the A2 could get
The flight time from Brussels to Australia,
to California by travelling hypersonically across
allowing for air traffic control, would be four
the Atlantic, then conventionally across the US.
hours 40 minutes. It sounds incredible by today’s
Reaction Engines claims it would be quieter than
standards but I don’t see why future generations
Concorde ever was.
can’t make day trips to Australasia.”

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Fly to Australia in under five hours
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8 Bond accepted the project was still at the early
exploratory stages. The next phase is more work
on the A2’s environmental impact. Bond said:
“Our work shows that it is possible technically;
now it’s up to the world to decide if it wants it.”

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Guardian, 05/02/08

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why would the Europe to India route be less 3. Why wouldn’t the hypersonic plane have windows?
attractive for hypersonic flights? a. Because travelling at such high speeds would
a. Because it is not far enough to make mean the windows would have to be very heavy
it economical. to be secure.
b. Because planes travelling at supersonic speeds b. Because looking out of the windows at such high
would have to make long detours to avoid speeds would make the passengers ill.
populated areas. c. Because it would be cheaper to use flat screen
c. Because there would not be sufficient business panels showing images of the scene outside.
on such routes.
4. What is the next stage in the development of the A2
2. What is the main function of Skylon? hypersonic aircraft?
a. To make hypersonic passenger flights possible. a. To develop the necessary technology to build
b. To transport cargo into space. the engines.
c. To fly without a pilot. b. To design an engine that will run on liquid
hydrogen.
c. To assess its possible effect on the environment.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the following words and expressions in the text.

1. A two-word expression meaning a picture showing what a new machine or building will look like. (para 1)
2. A three-word phrasal verb meaning to think of something such as an idea or a plan. (para 1)
3. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to advance. (para 1)
4. A three-word expression meaning in comparison with what happens now. (para 3)
5. A two-word expression meaning the amount of carbon dioxide a particular activity produces. (para 4)
6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to emit. (para 4)
7. A noun meaning a window in a plane or ship. (para 5)
8. A four-word expression meaning during the phase(s) of development where things are still being
investigated. (para 8)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Noun + noun collocations

Match the words from the left-hand column with those from the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text.

1. science a. runway

2. propulsion b. panel

3. air traffic c. hydrogen

4. flat screen d. trip

5. liquid e. control

6. ozone f. fiction

7. airport g. system

8. day h. layer

6 Grammar: Adverbs

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these adverbs from the text.

potentially commercially conventionally excitedly

environmentally technically closely

1. Some people are worried that the A2 might be _________________ damaging.

2. The technology used in the A2 is more _________________ associated with space travel.
3. A hypersonic plane is ______________ possible but it might be too expensive to produce it ________________.
4. It would have to fly _________________ across populated areas like the USA.
5. People have been talking _________________ about the project on internet message boards.
6. Liquid hydrogen is _________________ much greener than conventional aviation fuel.

7 Discussion

Do you think hypersonic travel would be good or bad for the planet?

324
Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

What do you think is meant by the phrase ‘rules and respect’?

2 Key words: Synonyms

Find the synonyms used in the article for the following words. The paragraph number is provided to
help you.

1. announce (para1) ___________________

2. team (para 2) ___________________
3. (football) game (para 2) ___________________
4. walk (slowly) (para 2) ___________________
5. develop/invent (para 4) ___________________
6. mind-set/way of thinking (para 4) ___________________
7. way (para 5) ___________________
8. fitting/proper (para 6) ___________________
9. first language (para 7) ___________________
10. task (para 8) ___________________
11. (football) field (para 9) ___________________
12. shows/indicates (para 9) ___________________
13. main (para 10) ___________________
14. positive outcome (para 11) ___________________

3 Skim-reading

Skim-read the article to find the answers to these questions.

1. What nationality is the England football team’s new manager?

2. Which well-known teams has he managed in the past?
3. Why didn’t he want to speak English at the press conference?
4. What language does he speak with the players?
5. What does Capello demand from his players?

6. What recently damaged the England players’ self-confidence?

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Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced

Rulesand respect are the buzz words as translation from the manager’s native tongue.
Capello seeks winning mentality “I will speak English with you when I am sure
that I know all the terms and all the right words,”
Richard Williams
he said. “You are good at twisting things, so I
February 6, 2008
want to be very careful. But with the players I
1 At Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid the players can explain and communicate in English and I’m
called Fabio Capello ‘Mister’, the name given to happy about that.”
generations of managers in Italy and Spain as a
8 Capello’s objective is to create a unified team
result of the many British coaches who spread
in time for the first World Cup qualifying game
the game around the world. In England, however,
against Andorra in September. In the meantime
he will have another title. The players can call
he will be studying videos of each friendly match
him ‘Boss’, Capello declared yesterday.
and passing on his observations to the players.
2 To the England football squad the Italian’s
9 “We’ve worked very hard on the tactical front for the
iron word will be law. And that means no
last few days, all of this in order to create a group
wasting time with computer games, no strolling
mentality and, more importantly, a way of moving
down to breakfast at whatever time suits the
on the pitch that reflects my ideas about football,”
individual, and absolutely no golf in the run-up to
he said. “I’ve seen some English clubs move on
international football matches.
the pitch in the way I want my team to move. So for
3 “After the match they can play all the golf they some it won’t be anything new. Others who aren’t
like,” Capello said with a grim smile during a used to moving this way will have to adapt.”
press conference, when he explained the need
10 On the psychological front, his principal task will
for a code of behaviour.
be to restore the self-belief so badly damaged by
4 “We are only together for a short time,” he said, failure to qualify for Euro 2008. But that, as he
“and in that time you need to try and work and pointed out, is not an overnight job.
create a way of working. To do that you need
11 “I want the team to regain their winning mentality
to set some rules. Eating together and getting
by being confident in their own resources and by
up from the table at the same time and being
playing bravely. I believe we need to leave the
punctual – these things are about respect for
past behind. We need a positive mind-set and
other people and for each other. We don’t have
to look ahead. But we can’t perform miracles.
a long time to create a group mentality. It’s
We’ve only just started our work. Give us time to
important to spend time together.”
show results.”
5 Capello continued: “We need to work in an
12 And after a month in England, what was his
orderly fashion. Compared to football clubs, we
view of England’s players? “I think players are
don’t have many days together. Therefore we
the same everywhere,” he concluded. “My first
need strict rules. If we follow those rules, we’ll
impressions of these players are very good.
create a group and a specific winning mentality,
They’re very attentive and eager to impress. With
which is what I want.”
this spirit and mentality I believe we will be able
6 “People make mistakes but, if they want to be part to do very well.”
of this group, they will follow the rules. If someone
doesn’t, then we will analyze why the rules were © Guardian News & Media 2008
broken and take the appropriate course of action.” First published in The Guardian, 06/02/08

7 At the press conference, headphones were

provided for journalists needing a simultaneous

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Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced

4 Comprehension check

Choose the right answer.

1. Capello wants the England players to call him... 3. He says the players should not play golf...
a) ... Mister. a) ... before the matches.
b) ... Boss. b) ... after the matches.
c) ... Sir. c) ... at all.

2. Capello wants the players to eat... 4. He believes that strict rules will lead to...
a) ... in expensive restaurants. a) ... better discipline.
b) ... together. b) ... higher earnings.
c) ... once a day. c) ... more positive results.

5 Discussion: Football small talk

Put the words in the right order and practise using the sentences in imaginary small talk situations.
You can change the names to make the sentences apply to your country’s national football team.

1. yesterday? / What / game / you / of / think / did / the

2. the / What / of / was / the / result / afternoon? / match / this

3. World / reckon / qualify / England / for / can / the / you / next / Do / Cup?

4. this / What / England’s / are / chances / beating / match / of / Germany / in / the / evening?

5. you / again? / Capello / is / think / to / likely / pick / Do / to / play / for / Beckham / England

6. do / support? / Who / you

7. do / the / manager? / What / think / you / of / new

8. England / the / would / choose / as / you / captain / of / squad? / Who

6 Webquest

Look on the Internet to find out when Fabio Capello took over as England manager, how much he earns,
whether England won or lost their first match with him as manager, and who that match was against.

You can watch a short video about Capello on http://www.fabiocapello.org.uk/ and an interview with him on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7229823.stm

327
Shark species face extinction
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key adjectives

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key adjectives from the text.

endangered vulnerable extinct revised excessive

devastating unrestricted resilient predatory wide-ranging

1. A ____________ animal or person is one that is at risk of being damaged by something negative or harmful.

2. A ____________ animal is one that kills and eats other animals.

3. If something is ____________, there is much more of it than is reasonable or necessary.

4. An ____________ animal, plant or language no longer exists.

5. A ____________ creature is one that is able to become healthy or strong again despite a serious problem.

6. If something is ____________, it covers a very large area.

7. An ____________ species is one that may soon become extinct.

8. An ____________ activity is one that has no rules or limits to control it.

9. A ____________ version of something is one that has been changed or added to.

10. ____________ means ‘causing a lot of harm or damage’.

2 What do you know?

The text is about endangered species and, in particular, sharks. Decide whether the following statements
are True (T) or False (F) and then check your answers in the text.

1. Shark fins are a delicacy in China.

2. More than 100 species of shark are on the World Conservation Union’s endangered list.

3. The world’s shark population has fallen by 90% as a result of the demand for shark fins.

4. The shark population along the US east coast has only fallen by 1%.

5. Shark fishing is not permitted in international waters.

6. Sharks mature in a relatively short time – 5 to 6 years.

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Shark species face extinction
Level 3 Advanced

Shark species face extinction amid 5 Recent studies have shown that all shark
overfishing and appetite for fins populations in the north-west Atlantic Ocean
have declined by an average of 50% since
Call for marine reserves to protect migration
the early 1970s. Shark numbers can become
hotspots as scientists fear decline will affect
depleted very quickly because they take a
other species
long time to mature - 16 years in the case of a
scalloped hammerhead. Their fins are highly
Alok Jha in Boston
prized in China and can fetch up to £140 a
Monday February 18 2008
kilogram. Until recently the eating of shark fin
was a delicacy restricted to the rich in China,
said Baum, but as the country’s middle class has
1 Nine more species of shark are to be added
grown in the past 25 years, so has the market for
to the endangered list as scientists warn that shark fins. Excessive fishing has caused a 90%
oceans are being emptied of the fish by over- decline in shark populations across the world’s
fishing and finning. The scalloped hammerhead oceans and up to 99% along the US east coast,
shark, which has declined by 99% over the which are some of the best-managed waters in
past 30 years in some parts of the world, is the world, according to Baum.
particularly vulnerable and will be declared
globally endangered on the World Conservation 6 The decline in predators such as sharks can
Union (IUCN) list. have devastating consequences for the local
marine ecology. In a case study published last
2 “Sharks are definitely at the top of the list year, Baum found that a major decline in the
for marine fishes that could go extinct in our numbers of predatory sharks in the north Atlantic
lifetimes,” said Julia Baum of the Scripps after 2000 had allowed populations of the sharks’
Institution of Oceanography in California and a prey, cownose rays, to explode. The rays in turn
member of IUCN shark specialist group. “If we decimated the bay scallop populations around
carry on the way that we are, we’re looking at North Carolina. “There was a fishery for bay
a really high risk of extinction for some of these scallops in North Carolina that lasted over a
shark species within the next few decades.” century uninterrupted and it was closed down in
2004 because of cownose rays.”
3 At the American Association for the Advancement
of Science annual meeting in Boston, Baum said 7 Fishing for sharks in international waters is
that in addition to the scalloped hammerhead, unrestricted, but Baum supports a recent
other shark species that will be added to the UN resolution calling for immediate limits on
revised IUCN endangered list later this year catching sharks and a ban on shark finning.
are the smooth hammerhead, short-fin mako, Sonja Fordham, of the Shark Alliance, a coalition
common thresher, big-eye thresher, silky, tiger, of 50 scientific and conservation groups, said:
bull and dusky. There are already 126 species of “People think these wide-ranging, fast sharks are
shark on the IUCN’s list. resilient to fishing; however, this shows this is not
the case. Concerned citizens can really help by
4 “The perception has been that really wide- making their fisheries ministers aware that they
ranging species can’t become endangered support conservation measures such as
because if they are threatened in one area, catch limits.”
surely they’ll be fine in another area,” said Baum.
“But fisheries now cover all corners of the earth 8 Some conservation efforts for sharks will focus
and they’re intense enough that these species on newly identified hotspots where sharks
are being threatened everywhere.” congregate during migrations. Peter Klimley of

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Shark species face extinction
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the University of California, Davis, found that scientists as ‘the white shark cafe’, Klimley says.
scalloped hammerhead sharks migrate along “We started calling it the cafe because that is
fixed ‘superhighways’ in the oceans, speeding where you might go to have a snack or maybe
between a series of ‘stepping stone’ sites just to ‘see and be seen’. We are not sure
near coastal islands ranging from Mexico to which,” said Salvador Jorgensen, a researcher
Ecuador. “Hammerhead sharks are not evenly at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station.
dispersed throughout the seas, but concentrated “Once they leave the cafe they return year after
at seamounts and offshore islands,” he said. year to the same exact spot along the coast, just
“Hence, enforcing reserves around these areas as you might return to a favourite fishing hole.”
will go far in protecting these species and will
provide the public with places for viewing sharks © Guardian News & Media 2008
in their habitat.” First published in The Guardian, 18/02/08

9 One site between Hawaii and Mexico attracts

so many sharks it has become known among

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why are wide-ranging species of shark becoming endangered?

a. Because their prey has exploded.
b. Because shark fishing is unrestricted.
c. Because intense fisheries now cover all corners of the earth.

2. Why did the North Carolina bay scallop fishery close down?
a. Because there weren’t any sharks to eat the cownose rays that feed on scallops.
b. Because the sharks ate all the scallops.
c. Because it was no longer profitable.

3. Why has the consumption of shark fin in China increased?

a. Because it has become cheaper to buy.
b. Because the growing middle class in China can afford to buy this expensive delicacy.
c. Because the Chinese believe it is good for the health.

4. What is the ‘white shark cafe’?

a. A coastal island.
b. A place where migrating sharks regularly gather.
c. A place where sharks return to each year to have their young.

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4 Find the word

Find the following words and expressions in the text.

1. a five-word expression meaning in 30 to 40 years time (para 2)

2. an adjective meaning having fewer members than usual or than before (para 5)
3. a two-word expression meaning considered to be very important or valuable (para 5)
4. a verb meaning to be sold for a particular amount of money (para 5)
5. a noun meaning a rare or expensive type of food (para 5)
6. a verb meaning to destroy by removing a large percentage of something (para 6)
7. an adjective meaning worried (para 7)
8. a two-word expression meaning located with equal amounts of space between them (para 8)

5 Expressions with Prepositions

Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.

1. focus _______
2. in addition _______
3. restricted _______ the rich
4. the market _______ a particular product
5. limit(s) _______ catching sharks
6. a ban _______ shark finning
7. resilient _______ fishing
8. provide people _______ something

6 Adjective + noun collocations

Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text. Check your answers in the text.

1. devastating a. risk
2. endangered b. delicacy
3. major c. species
4. high d. meeting
5. annual e. consequences
6. highly prized f. decline

7 Discussion

Should there be a complete ban on certain types of fishing in order to protect endangered species? Should
we allow certain species to become extinct because that is simply the natural order of things?

331
The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced

1 Team quiz: And the award for best actor goes to...

All of these actors have won an Oscar for best actor, but in which year, and for their role in which film?

Match each actor with the film he starred in and the year the film was in the cinemas.

Russell Crowe The Godfather 1944

Daniel Day-Lewis Gladiator 1948
Ben Kingsley My Left Foot 1951
Marlon Brando The Last King of Scotland 1972
Bing Crosby Going My Way 1975
Humphrey Bogart Life is Beautiful 1982
Roberto Benigni Hamlet 1989
Forest Whitaker Ghandi 1998
Jack Nicholson The African Queen 2000
Laurence Olivier One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 2006

Which of the actors above:

a) Refused the award? ____________________

b) Won the Oscar for best actor again this year? ____________________

2 Key words

Write these key words from the article into the definitions.

resolution montage contender hyperbole stoked

driven sentiment menacing noteworthy prospector

1. Something that is _________________ is intended to seriously threaten or frighten someone.

2. When you are _________________ you always try very hard to achieve things and be successful.
3. A _________________ is someone who searches an area of land or water for gold, oil etc.
4. When something is _________________ it is worth giving special attention or praise to.
5. When someone says they are _____________, they mean that they are really happy or excited about something.
(slang)
6. A _________________ is the action of solving a problem or dealing with a disagreement in a satisfactory way.
7. A _________________ is a feeling or expression of sympathy, sadness or love.
8. A _________________ is a single picture created by combining several different pictures, pieces of music, etc.

9. A _________________ is someone who competes with other people for a prize or job.

10. _________________ is a way of emphasizing what you are saying by describing it as far more extreme than it really is.

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The Oscars
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Coens alone as No Country uncertainty that showed in much of the broadcast.

dominates Oscars Host Jon Stewart, making his second appearance
Dan Glaister, Los Angeles at the helm of the second most-watched television
February 25, 2008 programme in the US, opened proceedings by
remarking, “You’re here! I can’t believe it! You’re
1 The Coen brothers’ brutal thriller No Country For actually here!”
Old Men dominated the 80th Academy Awards on
Sunday, winning best director and best film. 7 That sense of relief and disbelief filtered through to
the rest of the show. While the Oscars are always
2 The film also picked up the best supporting actor keen on sentiment, much of this year’s broadcast
Oscar for the menacing performance by Javier was given over to nostalgic reruns of previous wins
Bardem as the hitman Anton Chigurh. Rounding and interviews with stars of bygone years.
things off on a triumphant night for the film,
directors Ethan and Joel Coen also won the Oscar 8 “Had the writers’ strike continued, they would
for best adapted screenplay for their work bringing have had to pad out the ceremony with even
the vision of novelist Cormac McCarthy to more montages,” Stewart said at one point, before
the screen. introducing yet another montage of old clips. After
it finished, he said, “Thank God we didn’t have to
3 In a night short on surprises, the heavily-tipped show that.”
favourite Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor
Oscar for his portrayal of a driven oil prospector in 9 One of the evening’s surprises came when Marion
There Will Be Blood. He accepted his award, on his Cotillard won the best actress award for her
knees, from Helen Mirren, remarking that, “that’s portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Julie
the closest I’ll ever come to getting a knighthood.” Christie and Ellen Page had been considered
strong contenders for the award, but Cotillard built
4 There was a British flavour to much of the evening, on her victory at the BAFTAs to win the Oscar.
with six Oscars going to British nominees. The most
notable was to Tilda Swinton for her supporting 10 British winners included Alexandra Byrne for her
performance in the legal thriller Michael Clayton. costume designs for Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
Swinton also produced the most noteworthy Jan Archibald, along with Didier Lavergne for La
acceptance speech of the night, noteworthy for its Vie en Rose, and Suzie Templeton and Hugh
inclusion of the words nipple and buttock in the 45 Welchman for the animated short film Peter and
seconds winners are allowed. the Wolf.

5 Speaking backstage on the night, Swinton admitted 11 Daniel Day-Lewis was the only winner to attempt
to being surprised at her win. “I’m so stoked, to scale the heights of Oscar hyperbole, when
as they say, I think it’s fantastic. It’s completely he noted from the stage that There Will be Blood
astonishing, and I’m amazed I’m still standing, but had, “sprung like a golden sapling out of the mad,
I’m not complaining. It’s good.” beautiful head of [director] Paul Thomas Anderson.”

6 The 80th annual Academy Awards took place 12 But best actress winner Cotillard probably came up
against the backdrop of inclement weather and the with the most touching sentiment of the night when
aftermath of the writers’ strike. The strike caused she remarked from the stage that, “It is true, there
the Golden Globes, Hollywood’s other major are some angels in this city.”
celebration, to be cancelled. But its resolution
less than two weeks before the Academy Awards © Guardian News & Media 2008
left the show’s writers little time to prepare, an First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08

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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced

3 Skimming for information

Skim-read the text to find out who won the following 80th Academy Awards and for which films.

a) Best actor ________________________________________________________________

b) Best actress ______________________________________________________________

c) Best film _________________________________________________________________

d) Best supporting actress _____________________________________________________

e) Best supporting actor _______________________________________________________

f) Best director ______________________________________________________________

4 Comprehension check (with a bit of general knowledge thrown in)

1. When he accepted his award, on his knees, from Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis said, “That’s the closest I’ll
ever come to getting a knighthood.” Why did he say that?
a) Because Helen Mirren is a member of the British royal family.
b) Because Helen Mirren previously won an Oscar for her portrayal of the British Queen.
c) Because, being Irish, he can’t be knighted in England.

2. The 80th Academy Awards took place even though...

a) ... the weather was bad and the writers were still on strike.
b) ... the weather was incredibly hot and the writers’ strike had only just ended.
c) ... the weather was bad and the writers’ strike had only just ended.

3. How many times has Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars ceremony?
a) Twice, including this year.
b) Twice before, therefore three times including this year.
c) Once, this was his first time.

4. What are the BAFTAs?

a) Awards presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
b) Awards presented by the Belgian Academy of Film and Television Actors.
c) Awards presented by the Berlin Association of Film and Theatre Actors.

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The Oscars
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4 Webquest

Go to www.oscar.com and watch the best acceptance speeches. You can see short clips of post-award
acceptance speeches and interviews on the ‘Thank you cam’.

To find quotes from previous winners, type best and worst acceptance speeches into an Internet
search engine.

7 Speaking: An acceptance speech

In his acceptance speech, Daniel Day-Lewis said that There Will be Blood had, “sprung like a golden sapling out of
the mad, beautiful head of [director] Paul Thomas Anderson.”

You are going to be presented with an award (for best student / best homework / best attendance). Write a
30 second acceptance speech. Try to make your language as flowery, over the top, and emotional as pos-
sible. Make your acceptance speech to the class. The information from task 5 will help you.

335
The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

cockroach /ˈkɒkrəƱtʃ/ noun [countable]

An insect similar to a large beetle that lives in places where food is kept.
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattodea. This name derives from the Latin word for ‘cockroach’, blatta.

Discuss what you would do if you saw a cockroach:

• in the street?
• in your home?
• in a restaurant?

2 Key words

Skim read the article and find a word that means:

1. To get rid of an employee – two words. (sub-title and para 4)

2. A short news broadcast or official statement. (para 1)

3. One complete turn around a course or a circuit. (para 2)

4. A silly or embarrassing mistake. (para 3)

5. Something that fails completely in an embarrassing way. (para 5)

6. To improve the way something looks by making major changes to it. (para 5)

7. An informal word for an argument. (para 6)

8. To start a new project, one that will difficult and take time. (para 8)

9. To make a short visit. (para 11)

10. The act of chopping off someone’s head. (notes)

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The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced

And finally... how the march of a lone Niyazov, who also had run-ins with state TV
cockroach put 30 people out of work executives. Several executives were sacked after
drunken technicians failed to screen the New Year’s
Luke Harding in Moscow
address to the nation by Niyazov. They eventually
February 22, 2008
managed to get the bulletin on air at 3am.
Turkmen president sacks staff after insect’s
walk-on part in TV news bulletin 7 Those sacked in the cockroach debacle included
journalists, directors, camera operators, and
1 For the viewers of Turkmenistan’s popular nightly technical staff, the website reported. Yesterday
news programme, Vatan, it was another routine nobody from the Turkmen embassy in Moscow was
bulletin. But as the newsreader began the 9pm available for comment.
broadcast, viewers across the central Asian country
spotted something unusual crawling across the 8 Berdymukhamedov has been credited with
studio table: a large brown cockroach. improving relations with the west, and embarking
at home on a series of mild liberal reforms. He
2 The cockroach managed to complete a whole has announced the opening of Internet cafes in
lap of the desk, apparently undetected, before Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, and reintroduced
disappearing. The programme, complete with foreign languages to the school curriculum.
cockroach, was repeated at 11pm that night.
9 Last March the president restored pensions to
3 It was only at 9am the following day that horrified more than 100,000 elderly citizens and in January
officials from Turkmenistan’s ministry of culture he reversed another of his predecessor’s more
discovered the cockroach’s guest appearance. bizarre bans – on opera and ballet performances.
And that, perhaps, should have been the end of
the matter, the mildly entertaining footage being 10 “Our flourishing nation should not stand separate
occasionally shown on a TV bloopers show. But from the world,” Berdymukhamedov told state-run
the consequences of this particular cockroach’s five television. He added: “It absolutely should have a
minutes of fame were immediate and severe. worthy operatic theatre and a worthy state theatre.”
The first opera would be performed in six or seven
4 The country’s president, Kurbanguly months, he suggested.
Berdymukhamedov, took news of the insect so
badly that he responded by firing no fewer than 30 11 Berdymukhamedov has moved to end
workers from the main state TV channel, the news Turkmenistan’s isolation from the rest of the world
website Kronika Turkmenistan reported yesterday. in other ways too. He has overseen attempts
to attract larger numbers of foreign tourists to
5 Before the cockroach debacle, Berdymukhamedov Turkmenistan, including the building of a multibillion
had instructed Turkmenistan’s minister of culture, pound tourist resort on the Caspian Sea. The
Gulmurat Muradov, to revamp the country’s president has also dropped in on Washington.
Soviet-era TV channel. However, a new ministerial
supervisory committee founded to carry out this 12 Berdymukhamedov’s apparent dislike of
task only worked 9am to 6pm - allowing the cockroaches may have something to do with his
cockroach to make its run undetected. previous career as a dentist. He graduated from
Turkmenistan’s state medical institute in 1979,
6 Berdymukhamedov became leader of the oil-rich completing a PhD in medical sciences in Moscow,
former Soviet republic in December 2006, following and working as a dentist from 1980 to 1995. In
the sudden death of Turkmenistan’s longstanding December 1997 he was appointed minister
and flamboyantly authoritarian ruler Saparmurat for health.

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The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced

Cockroach notes
• 4,500 cockroach species have been classified, • A cockroach will live after decapitation for several
but there are thought to be at least twice as many weeks before starving to death; the severed
species yet to be discovered around the world. head survives several hours.
• Despite the belief cockroaches would be the only • The world’s largest species is the wingless
survivors of nuclear war, being 15 times more Australian rhinoceros (Macropanesthia
resistant to radiation than humans, other insects rhinoceros), weighing up to 33.5 gms and up to
such as fruit flies can survive even higher doses. 90 mm in length.

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Guardian, 22/02/08

3 Comprehension check

1. Where does Turkmenistan’s wealth currently come from?

a) Tourism
b) Oil
c) Pharmaceuticals

2. Before he became president, Berdymukhamedov was...

a) a dentist.
b) the Minister for Health.
c) Both of the above.

3. Operatic theatre and ballet...

a) can now be performed in Turkmenistan.
b) have been banned.
c) are free for pensioners.

4. The cockroach wasn’t noticed at first because...

a) the technical staff had been sacked.
b) the bulletin wasn’t shown until 3am.
c) the ministerial advisory committee had finished work for the day.

5. Berdymukhamedov wants to...

a) cut ties with Russia.
b) bring about an end to Turkmenistan’s isolation from the rest of the world.
c) offer free dental treatment to the country’s 100,000 pensioners.

6. Turkmenistan is...
a) landlocked.
b) an island.
c) is on the Caspian sea.

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The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Join the words to make 3(or 4)-word collocations from the article.
Then, talk with a partner, explain what they mean and write an example sentence of your own for
each collocation.

mildly tourist institute

flamboyantly operatic resort

mild authoritarian theatre

worthy medical footage

multibillion pound liberal ruler

state entertaining reforms

4 Discussion

Berdymukhamedov’s reaction to the cockroach debacle was to sack 30 people.

Do you think his actions were justified? Give reasons why or why not.

7 Webquest

Do cockroaches bite? How big is a cockroach baby? What do cockroaches eat?

Go to http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach_faq.html to find the answers to these and
many other questions.

Create a class quiz with each student contributing one question (plus answer).

339
After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

unanimous hardliner fatigues mandate convalescing

implicit shun rhetoric ovation omnipotent

1. A ____________ is the authority of an elected government to do the things they promised to do

before an election.

2. A standing ____________ is when the members of an audience stand up and clap their hands to express their

admiration or enjoyment.

3. If someone is ____________, they are resting in order to recover from an illness or an operation.

4. If something is ____________, it is not stated directly but is understood from what someone says or does.

5. A ____________ is someone who is strict or extreme in their beliefs or opinions.

6. ____________ is a style of speaking or writing that is intended to influence people.

7. An ____________ person is one who is powerful enough to do everything.

8. ____________ are simple loose clothes worn by soldiers.

9. A ____________ decision is one that everyone agrees with and supports.

10. If you ____________ something, you deliberately avoid it.

2 What do you know?

Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.

1. Havana is the capital of Cuba.

2. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is over 90 years old.

3. Fidel Castro was in power in Cuba for more than half a century.

4. Fidel Castro’s brother is the new Cuban head of state.

5. The Cuban revolution took place in 1949.

6. More than 20 million people live in Cuba.

340
After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced

After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in

the era of Raúl 4 Raúl, who has headed a caretaker government,
was given a standing ovation by the assembly
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent
before being confirmed as head of state and
February 25, 2008
government. The assembly was also due to
name a 31-member council of state. The lack of
suspense reflected the authorities’ tight control
1 Cuba’s national assembly has unanimously
over the island and its 11 million people, many of
named Raúl Castro as head of state, formally
whom hanker for relief from poverty harsher than
ending almost half a century of Fidel Castro’s
that experienced in eastern Europe before the fall
rule. The 76-year-old defence minister took
of the Berlin wall.
power in a choreographed ceremony of party
unity which cast his brother in the role of
5 The Bush administration called on Havana
revered, but no longer omnipotent, oracle of the
to move towards democracy, an implicit
revolution. As the constitutionally-designated
acknowledgment that Cuba retained the initiative
successor, Raúl’s appointment was expected but
despite Washington’s economic embargo. “We
the appointment of an ideological hardliner as his
urge the Cuban government to begin a process
deputy was a surprise. José Ramón Machado,
of peaceful, democratic change by releasing all
a 77-year-old veteran of Fidel’s Sierra Maestra
political prisoners, respecting human rights and
guerrilla campaign, was promoted ahead of
creating a clear pathway toward free and fair
young potential reformers.
elections,” Condoleeza Rice, the secretary of
state, said in a statement.
2 In his first speech as leader Raúl, in a suit and
tie instead of his usual fatigues, promised to
6 It remains unclear to what extent Fidel will retain
consult Fidel on important decisions of state.
influence. He is still leader of the Communist
“The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution
party and an assembly member, and writes
is unique. Fidel is Fidel, as we all know well, he
newspaper editorials, though the byline has
is irreplaceable,” he said. The new president
changed from Commander in Chief to Comrade
also said the Communist party would ensure
Fidel. The mention of his name last night
socialism outlasted Fidel and his generation.
prompted a standing ovation. The assembly,
“The mandate of this legislature is clear ...
whose members are elected from a list fixed by
to continue strengthening the revolution at a
the authorities, has traditionally been a rubber
historic moment. This conviction has particular
stamp for the ‘maximum commandante’ who
importance when the founding generation of the
ruled like a colossus after the 1959 revolution.
revolution is disappearing,” he said.
7 Under Raúl, who has a collegiate style, the
3 The mood in the 614-seat chamber showed
council of state is expected to wield more
little sense of drama or history in the making in
power. The president, who has long shunned
an effort to project normality and continuity. The
the limelight, is believed to favour a Chinese-
streets of Havana were quiet as people absorbed
type economic liberalization to improve living
the latest step in Fidel’s withdrawal from public
standards without loosening political control.
life, a transition initiated 19 months ago when he
He has encouraged criticism of the system,
provisionally ceded power to undergo emergency
raising expectations that delivering better food,
intestinal surgery. Last week the convalescing
transport and housing rather than rhetoric would
81-year-old said he would not accept another
characterize his rule.
term as president.

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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced

8 Under Raúl the military has taken control of government have applied the brakes, arguing
much of the economy by managing farms, tourist that support from oil-rich Venezuela would permit
resorts and other businesses, giving so-called a return to core communism.
‘Raúlista’ senior officers political power and
smoothing the transition. Yet since taking over, © Guardian News & Media 2008
the younger Castro has attempted few reforms, First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08
possibly because ideological purists in the

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What will Fidel Castro’s role be now that his brother has succeeded him as head of state?

a. He will remain the omnipotent oracle of the revolution.

b. He will continue to be leader of the Communist party.

c. He will give up power in order to undergo surgery.

2. What kind of policies does Raúl Castro intend to follow?

a. He does not want to change anything.

b. He intends to criticize the system.

c. He wants to raise living standards but retain strong political control.

3. How did the people of Havana react to Raúl’s appointment as head of state?

a. With angry demonstrations.

b. Calmly and quietly.

c. With a standing ovation.

4. Why has Raúl Castro attempted few reforms?

a. Because he has been prevented from doing so by hardliners.

b. Because he favours a Chinese-type economic liberalization.

c. Because he has to consult his brother on important decisions of state.

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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced

4 Find the word

Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following:

1. An adjective meaning respected and admired. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning impossible to replace. (para 2)
3. A verb meaning to last longer than. (para 2)
4. A noun meaning the act of no longer being involved in something. (para 3)
5. A two word expression meaning a temporary administration that is in charge of a country until a new
government is elected. (para 4)
6. A two-word verb meaning to have a strong feeling of wanting something. (para 4)
7. A noun meaning a situation in which someone gets a lot of interest and attention from the media. (para 7)
8. A three-word idiom meaning to slow things down. (para 8)

5 Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form collocations
from the text.

1. release a. power
2. take b. human rights
3. cede c. expectations
4. undergo d. power
5. respect e. prisoners
6. wield f. the limelight
7. shun g. surgery
8. raise h. power

6 Adjective + noun collocations

Fill the gaps in these collocations using adjectives beginning with the letters shown. Then check your
answers in the text.

1. e____________ embargo
2. i____________ hardliner
3. p____________ importance
4. t____________ control
5. p____________ prisoner
6. h____________ rights
7. i____________ acknowledgement
8. p____________ life

7 Discussion

Should economic sanctions be imposed on countries that do not have free and democratic elections?

343
Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

venture mere chutney modest cynic

goodies blurb sustainable competitive onlooker

1. ____________ are things that are nice to eat.

2. If agriculture is ____________, it uses methods that do not harm the environment.

3. ____________ is a cold food made from fruit, spices and vinegar and eaten with meat or cheese.

4. ____________ prices are cheaper than many others.

5. ____________ is used to emphasise that something is small, cheap or unimportant.

6. An ____________ is someone who watches something but does not take part in it.

7. ____________ is information printed about something to describe it or make it attractive to buy.

8. A ____________ is a new business or activity.

9. A ____________ crowd is one that is fairly small.

10. A ____________ is someone who believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere or honest.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Prince Charles is the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.

2. Charles owns a supermarket.

3. He is married to the Duchess of Cornwall.

4. Charles’s vegetables are cheaper than those sold in the supermarket opposite his shop.

5. Charles was 60 last year.

6. Charles in interested in environmental issues.

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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop
Level 3 Advanced
Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop is he doing this? He doesn’t need the money and
it seems a bit odd, a royal running a shop.”
Prince and duchess launch latest royal business
venture – and rival retailers say they don’t mind 5 The cynics might say the prince is doing it
at all. to promote brand Charles. There have been
Steven Morris rumours that Highgrove in Tetbury is the first one
March 18, 2008 of a chain of stores. Charles’s people said that
this was nonsense – but did admit that he was
1 He is the heir to the throne, a businessman, looking at exporting some of his goodies.
a champion of the environment. And from
this morning, he is probably Britain’s poshest 6 According to the publicity blurb, the shop is about
greengrocer. At 9am sharp, Highgrove, Prince reflecting Charles’s interests. So the first displays
Charles’s store on the main high street of his that the visitor is greeted with are chicken
adopted home town, Tetbury, will open its bluey- chinaware and stationery designed by Samantha
green doors to the great unwashed. It is the Buckley, a student at the prince’s School of
latest venture for the prince’s ever expanding Traditional Arts in East London. And the wooden
business portfolio, which has earned millions of boxes that the chutneys are stored in are made
pounds in profit over the last few years. from sustainable Welsh oak by disadvantaged
people being taught skills through one of the
2 At Highgrove shop, the prince is sticking to the projects championed by the prince. But the
formula that has served him so well; on offer highlight is probably the organic vegetables.
will be everything from seasonal vegetables There is no greengrocer in Tetbury so the good
freshly pulled out of the ground from the prince’s people of the town are very excited that they will
nearby estate – no extra charge for the royal be able to buy Charles’s muddy vegetables at his
mud still clinging to them – to apple juice from new store.
Camilla’s orchards in Wiltshire. There will be
jams, jellies, honeys, chutneys and mustards, as 7 Sarah Champier-Lowe, the prince’s personal
well as handmade biscuits and chocolates. But florist and in charge of making sure the
the coachloads of visitors, tourists and shoppers vegetables yesterday looked more like a still
that will beat a path to his store should not come life painting than a food stall, said: “When we
expecting a bargain. had a preview, people couldn’t wait to get at the
vegetables.” To be fair, the vegetable prices were
3 Away from the food shelves, a Highland vase reasonable. A bunch of earthy organic leeks from
to mark the prince’s 60th birthday later this year Highgrove will cost £1.35 today. A similar bunch
was going for an eye-watering £395. You could of leeks from the Netherlands which looked
spend £30 on a pair of gardening gloves or £45 nothing like as tasty as Charles’s was £1.10 in
on a nesting box – only the better class of bird the supermarket opposite.
welcome. The best buy may have been a collection
of Prince Charles’s sketches, a mere £6.95. 8 Anyway, the prince’s people were keen to point
out, the profits of the shop are to be ploughed
4 A modest crowd turned up for the official opening back into the prince’s Charities Foundation,
yesterday afternoon. There was no cutting of which manages and allocates funds generated
ribbon, no toasts, simply an appearance by by his social enterprises. Most Tetbury
Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The shopkeepers were welcoming of the new kid on
royal couple had a chat with the staff, rubbed the block. A few metres from Charles’s shop,
shoulders with the great and good of Tetbury David Herbert, of the food and drinks store,
and, no doubt, checked the stock was all in order. Quayles, said: “Everybody has been telling me
“He doesn’t exactly look like a shopkeeper, does my business is going to suffer. It’s not – it’s good
he?” said Steve Gray, one of the onlookers. “Why for the town. We’ll all benefit. The shop will attract

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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop
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more visitors.” Chocolate shop owner Hortensia with onlookers – and heartily recommended the
Oates had been checking out the prices Charles shop. “It’s got some lovely things in,” she said.
was charging. “I’ve got to admit they are pretty
competitive,” she said. The prince was busy checking out a new rival,
10 the Chef’s Table. “I hear it’s good,” he told one
9 Butcher John Newman sells beef from Charles’s Tetbury resident. “Not as good as your shop,”
estate and, indeed, fine lamb from Princess she replied. In places like this, it is best to stay
Anne’s land too. “This will bring more people on the right side of the royals.
into the town so that’s good for us.” The
© Guardian News & Media 2008
shopkeepers are painfully keen not to be seen
First published in The Guardian, 18/03/08
to criticize their royal neighbour – this is a
royalist town if ever there was one. As they left
the store yesterday, the duchess shook hands

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What is “the formula that has served him so well”?

a. Working for charity
b. Selling home-grown vegetables and home-made food
c. Working as a shopkeeper in his own business

2. What, according to the text, might a cynical view of Charles’s new shop be?
a. That it is very expensive and only aimed at the upper classes.
b. That the profits will go to Charles’s own charities.
c. That it is designed to promote Charles’s own brand and image.

3. What is the attitude of the shopkeepers of the small town of Tetbury to Charles’s new venture?
a. They see it as competition so they do not welcome it.
b. They think their own businesses will suffer as a result.
c. They believe it will attract more visitors to the town and this will be good for everyone.

4. What is the attitude of the people of Tetbury to Charles’s new venture?

a. They are excited because there is no greengrocer in the town.
b. They are all royalists so they welcome it.
c. They are worried that the town will be crowded with tourists.
D

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4 Colloquial expressions
Match these colloquial expressions from the text with their meanings.

1. the great unwashed a. the important people of a particular place

2. to beat a path to someone’s door b. someone who has just started a new activity
3. an eye-watering price c. to be on good terms with someone
4. the great and good d. an insulting term for people from low social classes
5. the new kid on the block e. extremely expensive
6. to be on the right side of someone f. to make your way to a particular place

5 Find the word

Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following.

1. A four-word expression that means the person who will be the next king or queen. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning typical of people from a high social class. (para 1)
3. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to continue to do something and not to change it. (para 2)
4. A noun (often used in the plural) meaning large groups of people. (para 2)
5. A three-word expression meaning to meet and talk to famous or important people. (para 4)
6. A verb meaning to support a cause publicly. (para 6)
7. A three-word expression used to highlight something good about something you are criticising. (para 7)
8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to reinvest. (para 8)

6 Expressions with prepositions

Use prepositions to fill the gaps in these phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.

1. __________ the last few years

2. a chat __________ the staff
3. a chain __________ stores
4. according __________ the publicity blurb
5. in charge __________
6. to plough profits back __________ the business
7. the new kid __________ the block
8. shake hands __________ someone

6 Discussion
Prince Charles will probably be the next King of the United Kingdom. Do you think royal families are a
good thing or a bad thing? Is it better to have an unelected king or queen or an elected president?

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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

addiction – a strong need that someone feels to regularly take an illegal or harmful drug:
There is a growing problem of drug addiction in our cities.
addiction to – a strong need or wish to spend as much time as possible doing a particular activity:
Many people have an addiction to nicotine.
His addiction to the Internet is taking over his life.
Source: Macmillan English Dictionary Online

What things might people become addicted to?

Make a list. Divide the list into new or modern addictions and old or traditional addictions.

2 Key words and phrases

Write the key words and phrases into the sentences.

case study discussion boards self-help group negative repercussions a fix

clinical disorder public health issue significant other withdrawal symptoms wean off

1. ____________________ are the unpleasant physical and mental effects suffered by someone who stops taking
a substance that they are addicted to.

2. A ____________________ is a medical matter that affects the general population.

3. A ____________________ is a medical problem or condition.

4. ____________________ are the bad effects that something has, usually lasting for a long time.

5. A ____________________ is a piece of research that records details of how a situation develops over a period
of time.

6. Your ____________________ is the person you are having a (romantic) relationship with.

7. When you make someone gradually stop depending on something that they like and have become used to,
especially a drug or a bad habit, you ____________________ them ____________________ it.

8. ____________________ is an amount of a drug that someone feels they need to take regularly to satisfy their addiction.

9. ____________________ is another term for online forums.

10. A ____________________ consists of people who discuss their problems and find ways to deal with them.

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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ number of addicts dropping out of school or quitting
New evidence shows that heavy users suffer their jobs to spend more time on computers. In
isolation, fatigue and withdrawal symptoms China it has been reported that 13.7 per cent of
adolescent Internet users, about 10 million, could
David Smith, technology correspondent be considered addicts.
March 23, 2008
4 Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and
1 Tense? Angry? Can’t get online? Internet addiction Science University in Portland, writes that the
is now a serious public health issue that should be extent of the disorder it is more difficult to estimate
officially recognised as a clinical disorder, according in America because people tend to surf at home
to a leading psychiatrist. instead of in Internet cafes. But he believes there
are similar cases and says: “Unfortunately Internet
2 Excessive gaming, viewing online pornography, addiction is resistant to treatment and has high
emailing and text messaging have been identified relapse rates.” He told The Observer that he did not
as causes of the disorder by Dr Jerald Block, in the believe specific websites were responsible. “The
respected American Journal of Psychiatry. Block relationship is with the computer,” he said. “First, it
argues that the disorder is now so common that it becomes a significant other to them. Second, they
should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical exhaust emotions that they could experience in the
Manual of Mental Disorders. He says Internet real world on the computer, through any number
addiction has four main components: of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn. Third,
• Excessive use, often associated with a loss of computer use occupies a tremendous amount of
sense of time or a neglect of basic drives; time in their life. Then if you simply try to remove
• Withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension the computer, they’ve lost their best friend. That can
and/or depression when the computer is take the form of depression or rage.”
inaccessible;
• The need for better computers, more software, 5 Harry Husted, a single 51-year-old from New York,
or more hours of use; spends 16 hours a day on the Internet. He insists
• Negative repercussions, including arguments, that he is not addicted, but admits that he used to
lying, poor achievement, social isolation be. “I used to work with computers for eight hours,
and fatigue. then get home and go online for seven hours. I
would stay up until two or three in the morning or
3 A case study is South Korea, which has the until I got so sleepy I had to go to bed. I wouldn’t go
greatest use of broadband in the world. Block out to get the groceries and I couldn’t have cared
points out that 10 people died from blood clots less about friends, TV, anything. After a while I
from remaining seated for long periods in Internet realized what was happening and did something
cafes and another was murdered because of an about it. Now if I use MySpace it’s only to advertise
online game. Their country now considers Internet my business.”
addiction as one of its most serious public health
issues. The government estimates that around 6 Internet addiction clinics have sprung up around
210,000 South Korean children are affected the world in an attempt to wean people off their
and in need of treatment. 80 per cent of them need for a fix. Many people have turned, apparently
might need drugs targeting the brain and nearly without irony, to web discussion boards with
a quarter could need to go to hospital. Since the names such as Internet Addicts Anonymous. The
average high school pupil there spends about 23 Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford,
hours per week gaming, another 1.2 million are Pennsylvania, says Internet addiction has become
believed to be at risk of addiction and require basic a growing legal issue in criminal, divorce and
counselling. There has been alarm over a rising employment cases.

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7 Robert Freedman, editor of the American Journal
of Psychiatry, said Internet addiction can be
diverse. “In Korea, it seems to be primarily gaming
sites. In America, it seems to be Facebook.
Additionally, it’s porn, it’s games, it’s gambling,
it’s chatting with friends. All these things existed
before, but now they’re a lot easier.”

8 To beat the addiction, he advised: “A self-help

group might be a place to start. Maybe replace an
online group with a real one.”

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Observer, 23/03/08

3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to the questions in the article.

1. What are the four basic components of Internet addiction?

a) Emailing, viewing online pornography, texting and isolation.
b) Excessive use, withdrawal symptoms when the computer is not accessible, the constant need for better
computers and software and negative repercussions on the user’s life.
c) Spending at least 16 hours a day on the Internet, quitting jobs, leaving school and social isolation.

2. In Korea, the main cause of Internet addiction is...

a) ... playing online games.
b) ... viewing pornography.
c) ... spending time on social websites such as Facebook and MySpace.

3. The case study revealed that many Internet addicts...

a) ... are in financial trouble.
b) ... take recreational drugs.
c) ... left their jobs or stopped attending school.

4. Ironically, self-help groups can be found...

a) ... in Internet cafes.
b) ... on the Internet.
c) ... in Pennsylvania.

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4 Vocabulary: Negative emotions

In the article, there are many words that are used to describe negative emotions and states of mind.

a) Find words that mean the following.

tiredness _________________
despondency _________________
loneliness _________________
anxiety _________________

b) How many other similar words can you find? Explain their meaning.

5 Discussion: Are you a net junkie?

Answer these questions for yourself or for someone you know and discuss the results. Do you think these
test questions are a good indicator of Internet addiction?

• Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet?

• Do you need increasing amounts of time on the net in order to achieve satisfaction?
• Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use?
• Do you feel restless, moody, depressed or tense when you try to cut down or stop Internet use?
• Do you often stay online longer than you originally intended?
• Have you jeopardized or risked losing a partner, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
• Have you lied to family members, a therapist or others to conceal the extent of your involvement with
the Internet?
• Do you use it to escape from problems (e.g. feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?

If you answer ‘yes’ to five or more of these questions, you may have an Internet addiction!
Source: Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery www.netaddiction.com

6 Webquest

Go to the website www.netaddiction.com. Here you can take further tests, read about real-life cases of
Internet addiction, listen to podcasts and watch videos.

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Smashing Pumpkins sue record label
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

sue lawsuit dispute piracy expansion

label collapse stall front (vb) back catalogue

1. If sales or prices _________________, they fall very quickly and dramatically.

2. If someone agrees to _________________ an advertising campaign, they are the main personality seen in
that campaign.
3. In the record business, _________________ is the illegal copying and sale of CDs.
4. A _________________ is a case that a court of law is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two
people or organizations.
5. A record _________________ is a company that produces records.
6. If a process begins to _________________, it stops making progress.
7. If you _________________ someone, you make a legal claim against them, usually to get money from them
because they have done something bad to you.
8. A _________________ is a serious disagreement, especially one between groups of people that lasts for a
long time.
9. An artist’s _________________ is all the books, films or records he or she has produced in the past.

10. _________________ is the process of increasing in size.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. The Beatles refused to allow their music to be used in advertising.

2. Sales of music CDs are rising steadily.

3. EMI is the world’s biggest record label.

4. Sony owns the rights to The Beatles’ back catalogue.

5. Virgin Records was founded by Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Atlantic.

6. Radiohead gave away their album In Rainbows for free on the Internet.

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Smashing Pumpkins sue record label
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Smashing Pumpkins sue record away on the Internet long before Radiohead
label over use of songs in Pepsi had conceived last year’s pay-what-you-like
promotional deals experiment for In Rainbows. In 2000, their final
album before they split, Machina II/The Friends
• Band says Virgin had no agreement to use name
and Enemies of Modern Music, was given away
• Tensions growing as labels seek new revenue streams
for free following a dispute with Virgin.
Owen Gibson, media correspondent
March 26, 2008 5 While disputes between artists and labels are
nothing new, the tension is expected to increase
1 The sometimes uneasy relationship between as the music industry looks for new revenue
bands and brands has been reflected in a new streams. The Beatles famously refused to have
legal case in the US. Alternative rock group the their music used in advertising but recently Sony
Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record label, Publishing, which owns the rights to their back
claiming it used their name and music without catalogue, said it would allow it for the first time.
permission in promotional deals with Pepsi and The links between advertisers and music labels
Amazon. The group, headed by Billy Corgan, have grown in recent years as so-called “sync”
was signed to Virgin Records in the US for 17 licensing fees have become ever more important
years but yesterday claimed its only existing to help replace collapsing CD sales. Record
agreement covered the right to sell digital labels and artists have also looked to advertisers
downloads and not the right to use the band’s to help promote new artists, particularly in
image in promotional campaigns. territories where it is difficult to secure radio play
for new groups. Levis has a long track record of
2 In a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in Los helping old and new artists into the charts, José
Angeles superior court on Monday, band González scored a worldwide hit with Heartbeats
members said they had “worked hard for over after it featured in a Sony advert, and Moby’s
two decades to accumulate a considerable Play album famously took off only after every
amount of goodwill in the eyes of the public”. track was licensed to an ad agency.
Virgin’s use of the band in a promotion known as
Pepsi Stuff, in conjunction with Amazon.com and 6 Big labels, suffering as digital download sales
PepsiCo, threatened their reputation for “artistic fail to compensate for falling CD sales and
integrity”, band members claimed. They said they the impact of piracy, are launching divisions
would “never grant such authority to Virgin, or dedicated to forging partnerships between big
any other entity”. brands and their artists. Guy Hands, who bought
EMI last year through his venture capital group
3 While some big name artists, from Michael Terra Firma, has identified the relationship as an
Jackson to Robbie Williams, have willingly signed important one in turning the company around.
deals with soft drinks brands and mobile phone
networks to front their campaigns and feature 7 EMI refused to comment on the lawsuit
their branding on tours, others have yesterday. It has owned Virgin Records since
consistently refused. 1991, when it was sold by its founder Sir Richard
Branson to help fund the expansion of his airline
4 The Smashing Pumpkins, who broke up in 2000 business. Earlier this month, Warner Music
amid stalling album sales and disputes between International announced the first deal by a new
band members but reunited in 2006, have had division designed to exploit links between its
a turbulent relationship with the major labels. artists and brands. Scottish singer-songwriter
Despite selling millions of copies of albums Paolo Nutini will have a long-term relationship
such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie with Puma, which will use his song New Shoes
and the Infinite Sadness, they gave their music across its global advertising campaigns.

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Universal Music, the world’s biggest record

label, has launched a joint venture with Sir
Martin Sorrell’s global marketing giant WPP
to better exploit the links between music
and advertisers.

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Guardian, 26/03/08

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why are the Smashing Pumpkins suing their record label?

a. Because they say the label used their name and music in advertising without their permission.
b. Because their record label gave their final album away free.
c. Because the group has the sole right to sell digital downloads.

2. What is the possible effect of using a song in an advert?

a. The recording artist can lose money.
b. The song can become a worldwide hit.
c. It can secure radio play for new artists.

3. What was EMI’s reaction to the Smashing Pumpkins’ lawsuit?

a. The company said it was a matter for Virgin Records.
b. The company said it didn’t want to discuss the matter.
c. The company said it would defend its actions.

4. Why do record companies want to cooperate with big brands?

a. Because they think it is good for their image.
b. Because they want to help to promote the names of these big brands.
c. Because they want to compensate for falling CD sales and the impact of piracy.

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4 Find the word

Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.

1. An adjective meaning not settled or calm and able to change quickly and get worse. (para 1)
2. A verb meaning to get more and more of something over a period of time. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning a separate unit that is complete and has its own character. (para 2)
4. An adjective meaning stormy. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to get back together again. (para 4)
6. A verb meaning to get or achieve something important. (para 5)
7. A two-word expression meaning a reputation based on things done or not done in the past. (para 5)
8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to stop being unsuccessful and start being successful. (para 6)

5 Business terms

Match these business terms from the text with their definitions.

1. venture capital a. a failure to follow the terms of an agreement

2. revenue stream b. a separate part of a large organization
3. joint venture c. money invested in a new business
4. division d. money paid for the right to use something
5. breach of contract e. an agreement between two companies to work together
6. licensing fee f. source of income

6 Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.
1. file a. a partnership
2. grant b. a deal
3. sign c. authority to someone
4. own d. a joint venture
5. forge e. a lawsuit
6. launch f. the rights to something

6 Discussion

Should artists have the right to decide how their music is used by record companies?

355
Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading

1. Do you like flying?

2. Have you ever had any problems at an airport?
3. How would you feel if your luggage got lost or was delayed?
4. And if your flight was cancelled?

This article is about what happened when London Heathrow Airport opened its new terminal.

2 Key words

Match some key words from this article with the definitions.

fume intimidating backlog proliferated

farcical meltdown calamity surly

1. _____________________: complete collapse of an organization

2. _____________________: frighteningly difficult

3. _____________________: disaster

4. _____________________: increased and increased

5. _____________________: a lot of work waiting to be done before starting the next job

6. _____________________: ridiculous

7. _____________________: become extremely angry

8. _____________________: bad-tempered and rude

Now read the article quickly to check.

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Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day
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Passengers fume in the chaos of of the most complex and largest airport moves in
Terminal 5’s first day history.” BA said customers not yet checked-in for
travel would receive a refund or could rebook.
Flights cancelled and baggage system collapses
at BA’s £4.3bn showpiece 9 A series of factors were behind yesterday’s
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent meltdown:
March 28, 2008 • Baggage handlers’ IDs were not recognized by
computers and they were not able to log on to
1 It was 20 years in the planning, cost £4.3bn to build the handling system, resulting in three flights
and its staff underwent six months’ training before it taking off without bags
opened. • The handlers also could not get where they were
supposed to go because they could not get into
2 But none of that could prevent Heathrow’s Terminal
the car parks or get security clearance
5 from descending into chaos on its opening day
yesterday after the baggage system collapsed. • Amid confusion over the layout of the new
terminal, bag handling teams were unable to
3 Thousands of passengers had their travel plans make good the delays, which left passengers
disrupted and British Airways was forced to cancel at in arrivals while their bags waited on planes
least 34 flights in and out of the terminal. • Problems were exacerbated by a lack of the
baggage storage bins that are loaded on to
4 The prospects for today were little better as BA staff
planes. Carousels loading luggage also broke
scrambled to clear an intimidating baggage backlog
down
and work out exactly what had gone wrong.
• By the afternoon, the already crammed system
The disastrous launch was a major embarrassment became overloaded and a ban on checking in
5
for both Heathrow owner BAA and British Airways. luggage was issued
Travellers were restricted to carrying hand luggage • Delays in loading and unloading planes led to
and told that they would have to leave checked-in delays in departures and arrivals, forcing BA
bags for collection at a later time, or else rebook their to cancel 34 flights to ensure that its jets start
flights. Delays at luggage carousels proliferated as in the right positions to run a normal timetable
queues lengthened to depressing proportions in the today
departure hall.
10 BA blamed the calamity on ‘teething problems’,
6 The situation worsened in the afternoon as the but found little sympathy from many of the 40,000
entire baggage handling operation ground to a people who passed through T5 yesterday.
halt under an overwhelming volume of backed-up
luggage, triggering angry scenes at BA desks as 11 Kate Adamson, 39, travelling from Frankfurt with
passengers swamped staff with complaints. her daughter Olivia, five, gave up on her luggage
after waiting more than an hour-and-a-half in the
7 Just hours after BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, morning. Adamson, who was visiting her parents
had toured the terminal promising a new era for in Maidenhead, Berkshire, said: “I am furious. We
Heathrow travel, the airline was forced to apologize had a 50-minute flight from Frankfurt and then we
once again for farcical conditions at Britain’s biggest had a 90-minute wait. The luggage system seemed
and busiest airport. to have packed up completely. Staff have been
really surly and there has been no announcement.
8 “British Airways flights from Heathrow Terminal 5
One BA woman in there was saying there was a
will depart with hand baggage only due to problems
technical problem. I’ve given up. They can send my
associated with processing customers’ baggage,”
bags on.”
said the airline in a statement. “British Airways
apologizes to customers for the problems during 12 Producer Sir George Martin, famous for his work
Terminal 5’s first day of operations following one with The Beatles, was among those caught up in the

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Level 3 Advanced
difficulties. He said: “When I came here I was very yesterday, but BA was helped by the fact that the
excited about the new terminal, but not now.” terminal will operate far below its full capacity of
70,000 passengers until next month, when it hopes
13 Matt Duffy was stuck on a flight arriving into to have all glitches ironed out. In the meantime,
Terminal 5 from Glasgow for more than an hour hundreds of daily BA flights will continue to operate
– and then when he was transported to the from Heathrow’s terminals 1 and 4, which reported
terminal, the wheelchair user was met by a kerb. “I no serious problems yesterday.
couldn’t even get into the building without getting
up a step,” he said. “It is totally unbelievable as far 16 BA had promised that the new system would halve
as I am concerned.” the number of bag delays and losses at the airline,
which, at 26.5 bags for every 1,000 passengers, is
14 BA has exclusive use of Terminal 5, which was the worst of any major European carrier.
designed by Lord Rogers and opened by the
Queen earlier this month. © Guardian News & Media 2008
First published in The Guardian, 28/03/08
15 The 34 cancelled flights represented almost 10%
of the total due to fly in and out of the terminal

3 General understanding

Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences about the article.

1. The opening of Terminal 5... a. ... lack of equipment.

2. A lot of flights... b. ... take on their hand luggage.
3. A lot of luggage... c. ... their money back if they couldn’t fly.
4. Passengers were allowed to... d. ... were cancelled.
5. British Airways had hoped that terminal 5... e. ... was not loaded onto the planes.
6. BA promised to give passengers... f. ... would be the best ever.
7. The delays were mainly due to... g. ... problems with the computer system.
8. There were also problems with... h. ... was not a success.

4 Vocabulary development: Synonyms

Find synonyms for the following. Paragraph numbers are given to help you.
1. ____________________: disturbed and spoilt (para 3)
2. ____________________: the circular conveyor belts delivering luggage (para 5)
3. ____________________: causing (para 6)
4. ____________________: flooded, overloaded (everyone wanted help at once and made their job impossible) (para 6)
5. ____________________: made much worse (para 9)
6. ____________________: very full (para 9)
7. ____________________: stopped working (para 11)
8. ____________________: minor problems (para 15)

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5 Language development: -ing forms

There are a lot of -ing forms in the text. Some are adjectives, some are gerunds (the noun form of the verb), some
are part of the continuous, and some are participles.
Scan the text and underline the ones below (paragraph numbers are given to help you), and see if you can
put them in the right column. An example of each has been done for you.

planning (1) descending (2) opening (2) intimidating (4) carrying (5)
depressing (5) handling (6) overwhelming (6) triggering (6) promising (7) resulting (9)
teething (10) travelling (11) waiting (11) visiting (11) saying (11) arriving (13)

Adjective Gerund Continuous Participle

opening (2) planning (1) visiting (11) triggering (6)

If you’re not quite sure of the difference, here is a tip. When they are used as ADJECTIVES they often
come before nouns. GERUNDS are like nouns, so they can be the subject or object of a verb, and they
often come after the or a preposition. CONTINUOUS forms appear with the verb to be, to say what
somebody or something is doing. PARTICIPLES also describe what people or things are doing, but
without the verb to be; sometimes they come after a comma.

6 Discussion

1. How efficient are the airports in your country?

2. And the train and bus systems?
3. What changes would you make to improve them?
4. Do you think public transport should be free?
5. Should air travel be restricted to reduce global warming?
6. If so, how?

359
The week the crisis hit home
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

Credit crunch: A shortage of available loans. In well-functioning markets, this would simply mean
a rise in interest rates, but in practice it often means that some borrowers cannot get loans at all, a
situation of credit rationing.

What do you know about the global credit crunch?

Talk in small groups for five minutes and exchange what information you have.

2 Key words and phrases

Find words or phrases in the article that mean the following. The relevant sections of the article have been
given to help you.

1. A legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank in order to buy a house. Repayments are usually made
monthly. _____________________ (section 1)

2. To remove an offer from the market. _____________________ (section 1)

3. A situation in which your house has lost value and is now worth less than the amount you are paying for it.
_____________________ (section 1)

4. A period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. ___________________
(section 1)

5. Someone who buys and uses goods and services. _____________________ (section 1)

6. Amount of money that a person, business, or country borrows, especially from a bank. _____________________
(section 2)

7. An agreement with your bank that allows you to spend money when you have no money left in your account.
_____________________ (section 2)

8. The percentage that an institution such as a bank charges or pays you when you borrow money from it or keep
money in an account. _____________________ (section 3)

9. The total value of the goods and services that a country produces in a year, not including income received from
money invested in other countries. _____________________ (section 5)

10. An economic process in which prices increase so that money becomes less valuable. ____________________
(section 6)

Source: Macmillan English Dictionary Online

360
The week the crisis hit home
Level 3 Advanced
The week the crisis hit home 9 Research suggests the average rate on a two-year
fixed-rate mortgage has risen from 6.15% to 6.29%
Graeme Wearden
over the last two weeks – adding up to £160 to the
April 3, 2008 annual cost of a £150,000 mortgage.
Introduction 10 This is despite the recent cuts in interest rates,
which lenders appear determined to ignore.
1 Mortgage rates soar as lenders pull their deals!
Millions face nightmare of negative equity! US The housing market
recession a possibility, admits top banker!
11 “Negative equity threat to 3 million homes” was the
2 Over the last few days, the reality of the long- headline in a recent edition of the Daily Mail. But
running financial crisis has finally hit home to the Labour politicians disagree with the suggestion that
British public, with news of worrying data and the current problems could lead to a repeat of the
fearful forecasts for the future. recession of the early 1990s, but official statistics
do back up the concern.
3 With consumer borrowing rising at a time when
banks are dropping their best mortgage deals, 12 In parliament, Vince Cable warned that a 10% drop
economists warn that many people could be in house prices would leave 3m households locked
heading for financial disaster. in the misery of negative equity.
4 Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s warning 13 Minister Angela Eagle was quick to disagree and
that the US could slip into recession, which would said Cable’s assessment was “colourful and lurid
have drastic consequences for the world economy, fiction”. Prices, though, have fallen for the last five
has added to the gloom. months, and economists warn that a larger drop
becomes more likely once people expect it to happen.
Credit
14 “The likelihood of a sharp change in house prices
5 The Bank of England has reported that consumer
will also rise if both sellers and buyers start
borrowing is soaring at its fastest rate for five years,
expecting it to happen. This is becoming a very
with lending through loans, overdrafts and credit
real threat due to all the current high profile bad
cards jumping by a total of £2.35bn in February.
news about mortgages and the housing market,”
6 Economists fear that this unsecured borrowing is – Howard Archer, Global Insight.
being used to cover essential costs such as the
The economy
monthly mortgage bill. Similar desperation was
seen across the Atlantic last year when the US 15 The chancellor, Alistair Darling, insists the UK
economy began to falter. economy will still expand this year.
Mortgages 16 News that growth in the key service sector is
slowing is putting pressure on the Bank of England
7 The news on mortgages is getting worse day by
to cut interest rates. But persistent inflationary
day, with hundreds of deals being pulled every
pressures may deter policymakers.
week. Underpinning the panic is the credit crunch,
which has forced banks to hoard cash and be much 17 The picture in the US is murkier, with Ben Bernanke
choosier about who they lend to. warning that the world’s largest economy could shrink
in the first half of 2008.
8 Bank of England figures show that mortgage
approvals have dropped to 73,000 a month; half as 18 “It now appears likely that real gross domestic product
many as a year ago. First Direct and the will not grow much, if at all, over the first half of 2008
Co-operative Bank have both pulled mortgages and could even contract slightly,” said Bernanke.
offers, and Halifax is tipped to do the same.

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Level 3 Advanced
Further bad news 21 “The international rice market is currently
facing a particularly difficult situation with
19 Oil is still trading over $100 a barrel which indicates demand outstripping supply and substantial
that petrol prices will stay at their current level of price increases.” – UN Food and Agriculture
about a pound a litre. Organization.
20 Food inflation is soaring. The cost of milk, bread
© Guardian News & Media 2008
and sugar has been going up for many months,
First published in The Guardian, 03/04/08
driven by higher demand in emerging markets. The
latest edible commodity to come under pressure
is rice – prompting a warning from the UN that 36
countries could run short of essential food stocks.

3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to these questions in the article.

1. Mortgage rates are...

a) ... going up.
b) ... going down.
c) ... remaining steady.

2. It is becoming ___________________ to get a new mortgage deal?

a) easier
b) harder
c) impossible

3. Many people in Britain are having to borrow more money to pay for...
a) ... new cars.
b) ... food.
c) ... their homes.

4. Some banks are...

a) ... closing their branches.
b) ... stockpiling cash.
c) ... offering new and exciting deals.

5. House prices in Britain are...

a) ... falling.
b) ... rising.
c) ... remaining steady.

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Level 3 Advanced

4 Note-taking and summarizing

The article is divided up into 6 sections. Make notes of the keywords and facts in each section. Then give a
summary of the article using only your notes.

Introduction

Credit

Mortgages

The housing
market

The
economy

Further bad
news

Summary
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................

5 Discussion

What advice would you give people to help them avoid or survive the credit crunch?

6 Webquest

Read the following articles to discover what advice some financial professionals are giving. Is the advice
similar to yours in question 5?

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/apr/13/consumeraffairs.householdbills
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/creditcrunch

363
Celebrity scandal and Anne Frank
Level 3 Advanced

1 Pre-reading 1

1. If you are a teenager, what kind of thing do you enjoy reading most?

2. Make a short list of five before you read the article below.

3. If you are not a teenager, guess the kind of things they like reading!

2 Pre-reading 2

Look at the following lists (which are not in the right order!). One is the top ten favourites of young British
teenagers; the other is the kind of thing they hate reading most. Which do you think is which?

Facebook Books by Anthony Horowitz

The Beano Film scripts
Magazine articles about skinny celebrities My own blog or fan fiction
Music (scores) / the Harry Potter series / Bliss magazine / online song lyrics
maps/directions Online computer game cheats
Shakespeare The Harry Potter series
Encyclopedias and dictionaries BBC Online / the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
Financial Times / anything in another language books by Louise Rennison Anne Frank’s diary
Books of over 100 pages Heat magazine
Books assigned by school/teachers The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS
Homework Lewis

3 Pre-reading 3

Well, the second list shows the top ten favourites. Which order do you think they came in?

Now read the text and see if you were right.

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Level 3 Advanced
Celebrity scandal and Anne Frank: the followed by Shakespeare, books of over 100 pages
reading diary of British teenagers and stories about skinny celebrities in magazines
– although the cover and pages six to 12 of this
Shakespeare and homework lose out as
week’s favourite read Heat are devoted to the subject.
Internet competes with books and magazines for
attention of young readers 8 Evidence that the Facebook phenomenon may be
Mark Brown, arts correspondent over is perhaps reflected by it being the ninth most
March 27, 2008 hated read, although the report shows a big rise in
online reading.
1 It may not make all parents leap for joy but a report
published today shows the favourite reading material
9 It also reveals that 45% of young teenagers have
of young teenagers is Heat magazine. Parents may been told off by parents for reading something
be more pleased to note that Anne Frank’s diary, considered improper. Wilson-Fletcher said: “One of
books by Anthony Horowitz and CS Lewis’ The Lion, the fundamental problems we’ve got is that we end
the Witch and the Wardrobe are also in the top ten. up being pejorative about certain kinds of reading.
Parents should realize reading is not just about books.”
2 The celebrity gossip and news magazine comes top
when 11 to 14-year-olds are asked to name their 10 She said the amount of online reading should be
favourite read, followed by teenage girls’ magazine celebrated. “Young people are web natives – exposed
Bliss, which comes joint second with reading song to a wider variety of reading material than any
lyrics online. They are followed by reading computer previous generation through the explosion of digital
game cheats advice online, and then reading your media. It seems not all adults are comfortable with
own blog or fan fiction. this shift and are often discouraging teens from taking
advantage of this new reading landscape.”
3 The first books in the list are the Harry Potter series
at number five. Proving what a contrary lot teenagers 11 The schools minister, Jim Knight, said: “It is vital that
are, Harry Potter is also number eight in the most young people have the opportunity to read widely. It is
loathed reading material top ten. wonderful that 80% of the teenagers surveyed write
their own stories and keep up-to-date with current
4 The results are contained in a report called Read Up, affairs by using sites like BBC Online.”
Fed Up: Exploring Teenage Reading Habits in the
UK Today, which was commissioned by organizers of 12 Also revealed is a gender divide. Among boys, 41%
the National Year of Reading, which Gordon Brown listed online computer game cheats as their favourite
launched in January. read, while online song lyrics came second. Nearly a
third of boys said they loved reading because it helped
5 Other books on the favourites list are Anne Frank’s them get better at hobbies. Girls took a different
diary at number six, Anthony Horowitz novels at eight, approach, with 39% saying they loved reading
the CS Lewis classic at number nine and books by because it provided an escape, or quiet time to enjoy
Louise Rennison – author of the Confessions of Georgia on their own.
Nicolson series – in joint tenth place with BBC Online.
13 The survey was compiled by using focus groups from
6 Honor Wilson-Fletcher, director of the National Year of which the 20 most loved and 20 most loathed reads
Reading, said she was more interested in the shape were assembled. From this, a ‘national conversation
of the list than the rankings. “I think the diversity of the about reading’ was launched, with teenagers logging
list is really encouraging. I read everything from Jane on to the teen website Pizco to have their say. A total
Austen to Grazia magazine and if you asked adults the of 1,340 teenagers were surveyed.
same question we’ve asked teenagers you wouldn’t
© Guardian News & Media 2008
expect James Joyce and Dostoevsky to be there.”
First published in The Guardian, 27/03/08
7 Predictably, the most loathed read is homework. It is

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Level 3 Advanced
The lists in full:
Most loved reads Most loathed reads
1. Heat magazine 1. Homework
2. Bliss magazine / online song lyrics 2. Shakespeare
3. Online computer game cheats 3. Books of over 100 pages
4. My own blog or fan fiction 4. Magazine articles about skinny celebrities
5. The Harry Potter series 5. Books set by school/teachers
6. Anne Frank’s diary 6. Encyclopedias and dictionaries
7. Film scripts 7. The Beano
8. Books by Anthony Horowitz 8. Music (scores) / the Harry Potter series /
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by maps/directions
CS Lewis 9. Facebook
10. BBC Online / the Confessions of Georgia 10. Financial Times / anything in another
Nicolson books by Louise Rennison language

4 Vocabulary development 1: Word search

Find words in the text that mean the following. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. ______________________: jump (1)

2. ______________________: inconsistent and difficult to please (3)
3. ______________________: hated (3)
4. ______________________: order in which they are placed (6)
5. ______________________: variety (6)
6. ______________________: very thin (7)
7. ______________________: surprising thing that happens (8)
8. ______________________: unsuitable (9)
9. ______________________: very critical (9)
10. ______________________: move, change (10)

5 General understanding

Are the following statements True (T) or False (F)? If they are false, say why.

1. The writer thinks most parents would approve of the writer CS Lewis.
2. The teenagers questioned prefer books to magazines.
3. Harry Potter books are both loved and hated.
4. Honor Wilson-Fletcher is not surprised by the results.
5. She thinks reading something is better than reading nothing.
6. Jim Knight is discouraged by the results.
7. Boys and girls read for the same reasons.
8. The survey was conducted online.

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Level 3 Advanced
6 Collocations A

Some words are often found together. Match the words on the left with their collocations on the right.

1. reading a. problems
2. joint b. fiction
3. song c. game
4. computer d. approach
5. fan e. divide
6. fundamental f. second
7. current g. groups
8. gender h. lyrics
9. different i. affairs
10. focus j. material

7 Collocations B

Now match nine of the collocations with their meaning.

a. ____________________: several people brought together to find out their opinions

b. ____________________: important things that are happening now
c. ____________________: basic difficulties
d. ____________________: stories made up about popular stars
e. ____________________: the big difference between boys and girls
f. ____________________: the words of songs
g. ____________________: shared second place
h. ____________________: things you can read
i. ____________________: another attitude

8 Discussion

1. Do the results of the survey surprise you?

2. How similar is the situation in your country?
3. What do you think explains the situation?
4. How much does it matter what young people read?
5. Why?
6. What would you do to change the situation?

367
John Prescott admits bulimia
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

disorder overwhelming confess stigma revelation

high-profile forthcoming consultant gorge memoirs

1. A _______________ is a feeling that something is wrong or embarrassing in some way.

2. If you write your _______________, you write an autobiographical account of your experiences.
3. If a publication is _______________, it is going to appear soon.
4. A _______________ person is often seen in public, mentioned in the newspapers and appears
on television.
5. If you _______________ to something about yourself, you admit to it, even though it might be embarrassing
and you would not normally tell other people about it.
6. A _______________ is an illness or medical condition.
7. A _______________ is a senior doctor who specializes in a particular area of medicine.
8. An _______________ feeling is one that is so strong that you cannot think or behave normally.
9. A _______________ is the admission of something that was previously hidden or secret.
10. If you _______________ on something, you eat so much of it that you cannot eat any more.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Bulimia and anorexia are both eating disorders.

2. Bulimia and anorexia are the same thing.

3. It is quite common for middle-aged and elderly men to suffer from eating disorders.

4. More men than women suffer from eating disorders.

5. 80% of people suffering from eating disorders are aged between 12 and 20.

6. More than one million people in Britain suffer from eating disorders.

368
John Prescott admits bulimia
Level 3 Advanced
‘I took refuge in stuffing my face...’ signs in the toilet gave it away, and all the
John Prescott admits bulimia missing food.” She urged him to see a doctor
• Eating disorder experts praise ‘brave’ confession and a consultant eventually diagnosed him with
• Former deputy PM blames stress for binge eating bulimia. “I turned up and found his waiting room
full of young women. I was the only man there. I
Sam Jones
felt a right twerp. Luckily none of them shopped
April 21, 2008
me to the press.” In the book, he also reveals
1 The former deputy prime minister of the United that, despite preferring food to alcohol, he would
Kingdom, John Prescott, has been praised by occasionally drink to relieve the stress and to let
medical experts for his ‘brave’ admission that people know how low he was feeling.
he struggled with the eating disorder bulimia for
two decades. In his forthcoming autobiography, 5 “Once or twice a year, when I was absolutely
Prescott reveals that the stress of political knackered, I did get out a bottle of vodka and
life led him to seek comfort in food and then place it on my desk. The office hated it when they
force himself to throw up. He says he began saw what was happening. They knew I’d go at it
suffering from bulimia in the 1980s, when the full pelt, as I always do with anything, and empty
pressure of being in the Labour shadow cabinet the bottle. But that was very rare.” Prescott, who
became overwhelming. He battled the condition resigned as deputy prime minister last June and
throughout his time in government, gorging on will retire as an MP at the next election, is now
burgers, chocolate, crisps and fish and chips. But supporting a National Health Service campaign
he now says he has been free of the problem for to raise awareness of eating disorders.
more than a year.
6 The eating disorder support charity Beat said
2 “I’m sure it was to do with stress,” he wrote in the Prescott’s decision to speak out had shown
Sunday Times, which is to serialize his memoirs. considerable courage. “It will help other people
“I wasn’t doing it all the time, and there would to realize that men can be affected by eating
be gaps of weeks and months, but during those disorders, and you can get help and treatment
years when we first got into power, I let things get – even if you have been ill for a very long
on top of me and took refuge in stuffing my face.” time,” said the charity’s chief executive, Susan
He added: “I’ve never confessed it before. Out Ringwood. “It is a brave thing to do because
of shame, I suppose, or embarrassment – or just people do feel ashamed of themselves and find it
because it’s such a strange thing for someone really hard even to tell close family members.”
like me to confess to. People normally associate
it with young women – anorexic girls, models 7 Although girls and young women aged between
trying to keep their weight down, or women in 12 and 20 account for 80% of new cases of
stressful situations, like Princess Diana.” eating disorders, boys and men are also affected.
“It is probably under-diagnosed – even a doctor
3 He also revealed how he would turn to sweet doesn’t necessarily think it can affect a boy or a
things and Chinese food when things became man,” said Ringwood. “Anybody could have this
stressful. “I could drink a whole tin of condensed condition, including people who are in the public
milk, just for the taste, stupid things like that. I still eye,” she said. “People absolutely shouldn’t be
love trifles; they’re one of my favourites. I can eat ashamed. We need to get past that huge stigma
them forever. Whenever I go to Mr Chu’s in Hull, that is associated with an eating disorder.”
my favourite Chinese restaurant in the whole world
... I could eat my way through the entire menu.” 8 Dr Ty Glover, a consultant psychiatrist and
expert on eating disorders, described Prescott’s
4 Although Prescott tried to hide the illness from revelation as “a hugely brave and courageous
his wife, she realized what was going on. “The thing”. He added: “It’s hard enough for a young

369
John Prescott admits bulimia
Level 3 Advanced

girl to confess to, but for a high-profile male 9 There are thought to be more than one million
politician approaching 70, it’s especially people in Britain with an eating disorder such as
impressive.” Glover said he had never before bulimia or anorexia, 90% of whom are women.
come across a man of Prescott’s age with
bulimia. “It seriously makes me think that maybe © Guardian News & Media 2008
we’re completely missing a whole audience First published in The Guardian, 21/04/08
of middle-aged men who are too scared to
admit they have a problem. “John’s bravery will
hopefully encourage more men to stop suffering
in silence and come forward to seek treatment.”

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why might people think it strange for a 70-year old politician to confess to suffering from bulimia?
a. Because politicians normally never confess to anything.
b. Because people might think he wasn’t being serious.
c. Because people normally associate bulimia with young women.

2. What, in his view, was the cause of his eating disorder?

a. He was constantly hungry.
b. He was under a lot of stress in his job.
c. The fact that he likes sweet things.

3. Why is his decision to confess to suffering from bulimia described as ‘brave’?

a. Because sufferers often feel ashamed of themselves and find it hard to tell other people.
b. Because it is embarrassing for a man to suffer from a disease associated with women.
c. Because the treatment is difficult and sometimes unpleasant.

4. According to the consultant psychiatrist, how many middle-aged men are suffering from bulimia?
a. A few.
b. A lot.
c. An unknown number.

370
John Prescott admits bulimia
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.
1. A verb meaning to fight against. (para 1)
2. A verb meaning to publish in a series of separate parts. (para 2)
3. A three-word expression meaning to behave in a way that makes you feel more comfortable in an unpleasant
situation. (para 2)
4. An informal three-word expression meaning to fill yourself with food until you can’t eat any more. (para 2)
5. An informal word for a stupid person. (para 4)
6. An informal verb meaning to inform the police or someone in authority about someone who has done something
wrong; to betray. (para 4)
7. An informal adjective meaning very tired. (para 5)
8. A three word expression meaning as quickly as possible. (para 5)

5 Nouns and adjectives

Complete the table.
noun adjective
1 courage
2 brave
3 embarrassed
4 stress
5 anorexia
6 aware

6 Phrasal verbs

Match the verbs with the definitions.

1. account for a. to start to use something in an attempt to help yourself when you are having
difficulty dealing with a situation
2. throw up b. to meet someone or find something by chance
3. speak out c. to be the reason why something exists or happens
4. keep down d. to provide information that should be kept secret
5. turn to e. to control something and prevent it from increasing in size or number
6. give away f. to arrive somewhere without making a firm arrangement
7. turn up g. to vomit
8. come across h. to state your opinion firmly and publicly about something.

6 Discussion
Do you agree with the theory that images of super-thin models are responsible for anorexia and bulimia in
young girls and women? What other factors might lead to eating disorders?

371
The demand for natural cures soars
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer

Which of these words do you associate with alternative medicine? Say why.

herbal remedies homeopathic remedies prescription

health stores GP (General Practitioner) chemist supermarket

2 Key words and phrases

a) Explain the differences between: pills, potions and ointments. (para 2)

b) Skim-read the article to find words that mean the following.

1. When something is considered ordinary or normal and accepted or used by most people, we can say it’s
___________________. (para 1)

2. Giving drugs or medicines to yourself without seeking advice from a doctor: ___________________. (para 1)

3. ___________________ is a law or a set of laws. (para 3)

4. A ___________________ is a substance that is not medicine but that a patient who is taking it believes is medicine,
so they get better. (para 4)

5. When something is ___________________, it continues for a long time without stopping. (para 6)

6. When something is ___________________, it may be seriously considered. (para 6)

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£200m boom as demand for ‘natural’ with drugs, in minute doses, thought capable of
cures soars producing the same symptoms in healthy people as
the disease itself does.
Leap in sales of alternative medicines led by
women over 35 5 Today’s high-octane lifestyles, longer working
Caroline Davies hours and increased stress are all said to have
April 20, 2008 contributed to the love affair with complementary
medicine. While one in five people reportedly
1 Alternative medicines are fast becoming suffers from stress and insomnia, many do not
mainstream as Britons increasingly turn to self- want to tell their doctors, to avoid black marks on
medication. Sales of herbal and homeopathic their medical records. Others are worried about
remedies in chemists, health stores and the stigma of taking antidepressants, while others
supermarkets have doubled in the last decade and worry that they might develop an addiction to
are now estimated to be worth £200m a year. pharmaceutical drugs. For many, complementary
medicines are the answer. The Jamie Oliver effect
2 And there is no sign of a slowdown as consumers – highlighting the ill effects of diets stuffed with
– the majority of whom are women aged 35 years additives – is also believed to have spilled over into
and over – are expected to continue sweeping medicine, with consumers attracted by claims of
‘natural’ pills, potions and ointments off the natural goodness.
shelves, according to new research. Sales are
predicted to reach £265m in the next four years. 6 Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary
Growth has been particularly rapid in the past five medicine at Exeter University, said he was not
years, according to the British Lifestyles report surprised at the increase in sales. “The last time I
by researchers Mintel as the market acquires “a checked, there were 40 million websites promoting
greater reputation for offering legitimate alternatives complementary medicine. It’s incessant.” Ernst,
to pharmaceutical-based treatments”. who last week asked the Prince of Wales to
withdraw two guides published by his Foundation
3 One reason is that the British government is for Integrated Health on the basis that they
encouraging people towards more self-medication misrepresented scientific evidence, said that only
by relaxing regulations on prescription-only drugs claims by some herbal medicines were
at the same time as promoting the role of the ‘biologically plausible’.
pharmacist. This has prompted more people to
try alternative treatments which they would not 7 “But homeopathy is not. It doesn’t work, and
have considered had they visited their GPs. The that’s that,” he said. “And unless people are very
industry will be given further legitimacy by new certain of what they are taking, they could cause
EU legislation, which will require all over-the- more harm than good. Some can interact with
counter herbal medicines in the UK to have either prescribed medicines.” While researching his latest
Traditional Herbal Medicines Registration or full book which examines the efficiency of alternative
Marketing Authorization. medicine, Ernst said his co-author, Dr Simon
Singh, visited ten homeopathic outlets and asked
4 Herbal medicines, which contain extracts from for protection from malaria. “And they all provided
plants and minerals, account for the fastest growth. some, without exception. They were all very nice,
Scientific tests have shown there is evidence but the nightmare begins when you return home
that some could have a beneficial effect. More with malaria.”
controversial are the homeopathic remedies, with
critics claiming they offer nothing more than a © Guardian News & Media 2008
placebo effect. Homeopathy is a system of therapy First published in The Observer, 20/04/08
based on the concept that disease can be treated

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3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to the questions in the article.

1. An increasing number of women over the age of 35 are…

a) … doing more cleaning.
b) … buying medicines themselves and not going to a doctor.
c) … going to homeopaths.

2. Sales of alternative remedies have…

a) … increased rapidly in the last ten years.
b) … doubled in the last year.
c) … fallen recently.

3. Many people have turned to alternative remedies…

a) … because they don’t trust their GPs.
b) … to counteract their stressful lifestyles.
c) … because they are cheaper than health insurance.

4. The Jamie Oliver effect…

a) … shows people that they are bad cooks.
b) … is advocated by the Prince of Wales.
c) … is making people look at how (un)healthy their lifestyle is.

5. Edzard Ernst believes that…

a) … some herbal medicines work but homeopathic remedies don’t.
b) … herbal and homeopathic remedies are better than prescription drugs.
c) … all forms of alternative medicine are dangerous.

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4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the words to make collocations from the text.

prescription-only lifestyle
high-octane alternative
over-the-counter effect
legitimate evidence
placebo plausible
scientific drugs
biologically medicine

Now write a sentence of your own for each collocation.

!
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....................................................................................................................................

4 Discussion

Have you ever bought over-the-counter alternative remedies? Why / why not?

7 Webquest

What are these plants called in your language? Put the Latin name into a search engine to find out.
• purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile or Matricaria recutita)
• hops (Humulus lupus)
Which could you take…
a) … to ease a headache or migraine?
b) … to boost your immune system?
c) … as a sedative?
d) … when you have a cold or a fever?

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Medvedev sworn in as Russian president
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Match these verbs from the text with their definitions.

hamper stroll tackle wield boom

unfurl mediate amend hint bundle

1. _________________: to untie or open something that was rolled up, e.g. a flag or an umbrella
2. _________________: to have and be able to use power or influence
3. _________________: to make changes to a document, law or agreement
4. _________________: to try to end a disagreement between two people or groups
5. _________________: to walk without hurrying
6. _________________: to make someone go somewhere by pushing them in a rough way
7. _________________: to say what you are feeling or thinking in an indirect way
8. _________________: to prevent something from happening or progressing normally
9. _________________: to make a deep loud sound that continues for some time
10. _________________: to make an organized and determined attempt to deal with a problem

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. The Russian prime minister’s office is in the White House.

2. Vladimir Putin was president of Russia for 12 years.
3. Boris Yeltsin was the president of Russia before Putin.
4. Russia is involved in a dispute with Ukraine over the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
5. The new president of Russia is a very tall man.
6. The new president of Russia is called Dmitry Medvedev.

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Medvedev sworn in as Russian president
Level 3 Advanced
Medvedev sworn in as Russian for well over a century, Medvedev now faces a
president formidable series of problems – both at home
and abroad.
Luke Harding
May 8, 2008 5 Early challenges include dealing with Russia’s
rampant inflation – currently running at at least
12%. He also has to tackle growing popular
1 Dmitry Medvedev has become Russia’s new
dissatisfaction at rising food and utility prices,
president and the country’s third post-Soviet
and Russia’s continuing demographic crisis.
leader during a ceremony at the Kremlin
Medvedev also has several foreign policy
which – formally at least – brought down the
problems in his in-tray. He has to decide what
curtain on Vladimir Putin’s eight tumultuous
to do about the breakaway region of Abkhazia,
years in power. Standing next to Putin, the
where Russia is embroiled in a military
outgoing president, Medvedev swore an oath
stand-off with Georgia, and negotiate a new
on Russia’s constitution. He then delivered a
co-operation and partnership agreement with the
speech promising to improve the lives of ordinary
European Union.
Russians, fight corruption and end the country’s
“legal nihilism”. He said: “I’m going to pay 6 Medvevev has announced that his first foreign
special attention to the fundamental role of the trip will be to China and Kazakhstan. But one
law. We must achieve a true respect in law, and of his early tasks will be to try to establish good
overcome the legal nihilism, which is hampering relations with the next president of the United
modern development.” He also promised to States – and improve Moscow’s fractious
make life “comfortable, confident and secure” for relationship with Washington.
ordinary Russians.
7 Today experts said that arguably Medvedev’s
2 Medvedev also paid warm tribute to his biggest challenge would be to prevent the
predecessor. He is expected to nominate Putin Kremlin’s powerful siloviki, or military intelligence
as Russia’s new prime minister and head of clan, from moving against him. Unlike Putin,
the government. “I would like to thank Vladimir Medvedev – a former St Petersburg lawyer – was
Putin for his personal support, which I have felt never in the KGB, whose ex-members dominate
constantly,” he said. The carefully managed the top levels of Russia’s government and
ceremony left little doubt that Putin and bureaucracy. “He has got enough problems to
Medvedev are likely to run Russia as a tandem make his hair go grey,” Sam Greene, an expert at
– with Putin wielding considerable influence, the Moscow Carnegie Centre, said today. Asked
especially behind the scenes, from his new prime who Russia’s real leader would be, he said:
ministerial office in Russia’s White House. “We have to assume the status quo remains
in place, with Putin as the person in the elite
3 Putin arrived first at the Kremlin palace. He
whom everyone calls. This regime has thrived on
strolled down a long red carpet in front of
flexibility and informal power relations. I’ve got
2,400 dignitaries, diplomats and Russia’s
no reason to think this is going to change in the
patriarch Alexey II. Medvedev turned up next
future. The thing that made Putin different from
– a diminutive figure, nervously scanning his
Boris Yeltsin is his ability to mediate between
feet as he entered the Kremlin’s vast gold
different factions within the elite. This isn’t
Andreyevsky Hall.
something codified in the constitution, and it can’t
4 Afterwards, both men stood together side by side easily be passed to Medvedev,” he said.
in the Kremlin’s cold, blustery palace courtyard
8 Political analysts are divided as to whether Putin
as a 31-gun salute boomed cross the capital.
intends to come back as president in 2012, or
Aged just 42, and the youngest Russian leader
gradually fade away from politics. Under Russia’s

377
Medvedev sworn in as Russian president
Level 3 Advanced
constitution, Putin, who took over from Boris supporters of The Other Russia movement,
Yeltsin in 2000, was obliged to step down as despite the constitution guaranteeing the right to
president. But there is nothing to stop him assembly. One man was arrested and bundled
returning after a four-year gap. Today Putin into a police van after trying to unfurl a banner.
strongly hinted that he stuck to the law – despite
calls from powerful factions inside the Kremlin 10 “Our pensions are now 40 times less than what
for him to amend the constitution and serve a MPs earn. We have to survive on 4,000 roubles
third term as president. “I made a commitment (£88) a month,” Zoya Vasilyevna, a 77-year-old
to work openly and honestly, to faithfully serve retired teacher, complained at the rally. “It was
the people and the state. And I did not violate my generation who defended this country in the
my promise,” he said in a brief address. war, but now these people have stolen all the
resources. Putin only likes billionaires. He’s not
9 Medvedev’s promise, meanwhile, to turn interested in us,” she said.
Russia into a law-based society, is an intriguing
one. Yesterday, the authorities banned an © Guardian News & Media 2008
anti-Kremlin opposition rally in Moscow by First published in The Guardian, 08/05/08

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What did Medvedev specifically promise to do in his speech at the Kremlin?

a. To pay warm tribute to his predecessor.
b. To visit China and Kazakhstan.
c. To pay special attention to the law.

2. Which of these statements best reflects the opinions expressed in the text?
a. Vladimir Putin is planning to return as president in 2012.
b. Vladimir Putin will have very little influence when he becomes prime minister.
c. Vladimir Putin will run Russia together with Dmitry Medvedev.

3. What, according to some experts, is Medvedev’s biggest challenge?

a. To try and establish good relations with the next American president.
b. To keep the military intelligence group in the Kremlin on his side.
c. To make life comfortable, confident and secure for ordinary Russians.

4. Which of these statements best reflects the challenges faced by Russia’s new president?
a. He has several very difficult problems, both in Russia and abroad.
b. He has one or two serious challenges to deal with.
c. He is facing some minor problems but none of them are serious.

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Medvedev sworn in as Russian president
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word

Find the following words and expressions in the text.

1. An adjective meaning involving a lot of noise, excitement, activity or violence. (para 1)

2. A three-word expression meaning to praise someone publicly. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning very short or small. (para 3)
4. An adjective meaning with strong winds. (para 4)
5. A noun meaning a conflict in which neither side can do anything to win or achieve their aim. (para 5)
6. An adjective meaning causing problems and difficult to control. (para 5)
7. A noun meaning a group of people who share an interest or aim. (para 7)
8. A two-word noun meaning the present situation or the way things usually are. (para 7)

5 Phrasal verbs

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.

1. take over a. to disappear slowly

2. step down b. to arrive somewhere

3. fade away c. to do something you promised or decided you would do

4. thrive on d. to leave an official position or job

5. turn up e. to begin to do something someone else was doing

6. stick to f. to become successful or happy in a particular situation

6 Collocations

Complete the collocations using these verbs from the text.

wield deliver pay establish

negotiate hamper bring down amend

1. ________________ good relations 5. ________________ development

2. ________________ an agreement 6. ________________ tribute
3. ________________ a speech 7. ________________ the constitution
4. ________________ the curtain 8. ________________ influence

7 Discussion

Do you agree with the presidential systems in Russia and the United States where presidents are elected for a
maximum of two four-year terms of office? What are the arguments for and against limiting the amount of time an
elected president can stay in office?

379
Mortgage crisis sees suburbs slump
Level 3 Advanced

1 Brainstorming

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of:

a) suburban living: living in a suburban area outside of a big town or city?

b) urban living: living in a big town or city?

2 Key words

Find the missing key words in the article. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you.

1. A _______________ is a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank in order to buy a house. The
money is usually paid back in monthly payments. (title)
2. When banks _______________, they take someone’s property because they failed to pay back the money they
borrowed to buy it. (subtitle)
3. _______________ is a synonym for danger. (para 1)
4. A _______________ is someone who lives in a suburb. (para 2)
5. An adjective meaning large and impressive: _______________. (para 2)
6. An adjective relating to populations: _______________. (para 3)
7. An adjective meaning dirty and untidy: _______________. (para 4)
8. When something is _______________, it makes you think something bad will happen. (para 4)
9. Something that is _______________ is lively and exciting or bright and colourful. (para 6)
10. When something is _______________, it is certain to fail or be destroyed. (para 7)
11. A _______________ is a long thin bar with a weight at the lower end that swings from side to side, usually in
order to keep a clock working. (para 7)

12. Something that is _______________, is made for one particular person or purpose. (para 10)

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Mortgage crisis sees suburbs slump
Level 3 Advanced

There goes the neighbourhood: 5 McDonald moved to Elk Grove four years ago,
mortgage crisis sees suburbs slump attracted by suburban life; a new home in a new
location, with award-winning schools. Elk Grove
As the banks foreclose on loans across the US,
had the reputation of being a friendly, family-
worried householders watch their tree-lined
oriented community.” But once the mortgage crisis
streets change
started to bite, McDonald began to notice changes.
Dan Glaister in Elk Grove
April 28, 2008 6 “I took my kids for a walk in the park and saw some
graffiti,” she says. Soon after, McDonald and seven
1 Susan McDonald doesn’t look like an activist. She others took the decision to form a neighbourhood
drives a nice car, wears smart clothes and during association. Today, the group has 400 members,
office hours is the neighbourhood personal banker. a lawn-mowing task force, and a vibrant online
But after work McDonald has another life. It is then message board.
that the mother of three turns into a neighbourhood
organizer, determined to mobilize her community to 7 But unmown lawns are the least of suburbia’s
battle for a way of life that many believe is in peril. problems, according to Christopher Leinberger, an
urban theorist who wrote an analysis of the problem
2 McDonald is a self-confessed suburbanite and in the Atlantic Monthly. He argues that suburbia is
president of the Franklin Reserve Neighbourhood doomed: “For the past 50 years we’ve left the city and
Association, a new development in the city of Elk headed to the suburbs,” he says. “Now the pendulum
Grove, 15 miles south of the Californian capital, is swinging back, aided by $4 per gallon gas.”
Sacramento. Franklin Reserve, a collection of
imposing houses on anonymous cul-de-sacs with 8 The move has also been helped by cultural and
improbable names – Snow Leopard Circle, Fox demographic changes, says Leinberger. Couples
Trotter Way – is at the heart of what some see as a are having children later in life, so the need for the
struggle for the soul of suburbia. suburban mansion with five bedrooms and a huge
garden is not quite as pressing. Many potential
3 The full onset of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, buyers also prefer the concept of walkable, urban
coupled with demographic changes, rising fuel living over driveable, suburban living.
prices and a host of other factors means that
the suburbs could be on the way out. The term 9 “Transport now accounts for 19% of household
‘slumburbia’ was not far behind. costs, compared to 3% a hundred years ago,” says
Leinberger. “At some point this country has to get
4 Franklin Reserve, a walled but not gated serious about reducing carbon emissions.
community of 15,000 people, appears to be a
prosperous development. But there are signs that 10 But what most alarms urban theorists is what might
all is not well. Some front lawns are unkempt, become of developments like Franklin Reserve
and there are many ‘for sale’ signs and signs once people can no longer afford to live there.
offering properties for rent. On Caprezzo Way a Unlike the inner city that was abandoned in the
five-bedroom, three-bathroom house, complete latter half of the last century, it is hard to adapt
with pool, is on the market for $550,000, probably suburban developments to other uses. “These
$100,000 less than a year ago. Across the street spaces are custom-made for residential purposes
a more ominous sign of the mortgage foreclosure only,” says Leinberger. “They don’t convert easily to
crisis is taped to the wrought iron gate of a house retail or office or hotel.”
on Cortino Way. ‘Notice to quit,’ it declares, telling
the occupants, who couldn’t pay their mortgage, © Guardian News & Media 2008

they have three days to leave. First published in The Guardian, 28/04/08

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Mortgage crisis sees suburbs slump
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3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to the questions in the article.

1. Why did Susan McDonald move to Franklin Reserve?

2. What was the thing that led Susan McDonald to set up a neighbourhood association?
3. How many inhabitants have joined the neighbourhood association and what do they do?
4. How has the cost of driving and keeping a car changed in the past 100 years?
5. Why are more people moving back to the towns?

4 Vocabulary: Lexical groups

Look back at the article. Which words do you specifically associate with finance? Write them onto the
word wheel.

al
s on er
r
. pe ank
e.g b

finance

These websites and PDFs may be useful when you need to look up specific financial terms in English.

• http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/financialguide.pdf
• http://handsonbanking.org/nav_elements/teachers_guide_PDF/HOB_Dictionary.pdf
• http://www.ubs.com/1/e/about/bterms.html

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Level 3 Advanced

5 Discussion

Are house prices in your area going up or down? Why do you think this is?

6 Webquest

Look at this website http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/neighbourhoodwatch/nwatch01.htm

or type neighbourhood watch into a search engine.
Go to the directory (this lists all the registered schemes in the UK), choose one, make notes on the main
information and tell your class about the scheme and its aims and activities.

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383
Mice eating rare seabirds alive
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

predator extinct endangered vulnerable eradicate

rodent evolves unmolested remote ornithologist

1. If someone or something is __________________, they are easy to attack.

2. A __________________ place is one that is very far from cities, towns or people.
3. If an animal is __________________, it is not disturbed or bothered by other animals.
4. If a creature is __________________, it no longer exists anywhere in the world.
5. A __________________ is a type of small animal that has long sharp front teeth.
6. When an animal __________________, its physical form changes over a long period of time.
7. An __________________ is someone who studies birds.
8. If you __________________ something, you get rid of it completely.
9. A __________________ is an animal that kills and eats other animals.
10. An __________________ species is one that may soon become extinct.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements about wildlife on Gough Island in the South Atlantic are True (T) or
False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Mice arrived in Gough Island on cruise ships.

2. The normal diet of house mice is insects and seeds.

3. The mice are 30 times bigger than the birds they kill.

4. More than half the young birds on Gough Island die in their nests.

5. One sixth of the world’s most endangered birds are on British territory.

6. The largest mice in the world live on Gough Island.

384
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Level 3 Advanced
From stowaway to supersize predator: rats from many islands, shows it is possible.
the mice eating rare seabirds alive The mice would take the poison and just go to
their nests and die. We think it could be done
John Vidal, environment editor
fairly easily and would cost about £2.6m,” a
May 20, 2008 spokeswoman said.

1 For tens of thousands of years, the birds of 5 “Things are getting worse on Gough,” said Dr
Gough Island lived unmolested, without predators Geoff Hilton, an RSPB scientist who has been
on a remote outcrop in the south Atlantic. Today, researching conservation problems in UK
the British-owned island, described as the home overseas territories. “In the presence of house
of the most important seabird colony in the world, mice, the albatross and bunting have no chance
still hosts 22 breeding species and is a world of survival. The only hope for these threatened
heritage site. But as a terrible consequence of birds is complete eradication of mice. The world’s
the first whalers making landfall there 150 years greatest seabird island is being eaten alive, as
ago, Gough Island has become the stage for the mice are likely to be affecting the fortunes
one of nature’s great horror shows. Mice stowed of many seabirds on the island. Without help
away on the whaling boats jumped ship and have Gough Island will be likely to lose the majority of
since multiplied to 700,000 or more on an island seabirds,” said Hilton.
of about 25 square miles.
6 Those who have witnessed the phenomenon
2 What is horrifying ornithologists is that the British say the mice attack at night either alone or in
house mouse has somehow evolved, growing to groups, gnawing through the nests to get at
up to three times the size of ordinary domestic the baby birds. Their parents, who have never
house mice, and instead of surviving on a diet experienced predators, are unable to defend
of insects and seeds, has adapted itself to them. Studies suggest about 60% of all Gough’s
become a carnivore, eating albatross, petrel chicks die in their nests. “It is a catastrophe.
and shearwater chicks alive in their nests. They The albatross chicks weigh ten kilograms. They
are now believed to be the largest mice in the evolved on Gough because it had no mammal
world. Birdlife International, a global alliance of predators – that is why they are so vulnerable.
conservation groups, has recognized that the The mice weigh 35 grams; it is like a tabby cat
mice, who are without predators themselves, are attacking a hippopotamus,” said Hilton.
out of control and threatening to make extinct
several of the world’s rarest bird species. 7 Britain has long been criticized for not maintaining
the ecology of its overseas territories, which are
3 The organization, which runs the Red List of mainly made up of groups of islands such as
endangered bird species, elevated the Tristan Pitcairn, Tristan da Cunha, and the Falklands. Of
albatross, of which only a few remain in the the world’s 190 most endangered birds, 32 are now
world, and the Gough bunting, a small finch officially British responsibility.
found only on the island, to the list of the world’s
most critically endangered species, the highest 8 The RSPB’s spokeswoman added: “The study
category of threat. Five other bird species on the shows there is a glimmer of light. The UK
island are also said to be threatened. government has supported us in discovering
the problem, in conducting the feasibility study,
4 The RSPB has proposed hiring helicopters to and now in finalizing our plan for the mouse
drop thousands of tonnes of rodent poison on the eradication. The big question is whether the UK
volcanic island, 2,000 miles off the coast of South will take its international commitments seriously
America. “A government-funded feasibility study and do what the governments of New Zealand
done with New Zealand, which has eradicated and Australia have done, and provide the
ED
E

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Mice eating rare seabirds alive
Level 3 Advanced

big money needed to actually do the mouse leaving. “It sounds incredulous, implausible that
eradication. If they don’t, we won’t be able to a mouse could attack a chick, but these chicks
give two critically threatened species the lifeline are really big spherical balls of fat covered in
they need.” down, and because they are so fat and big they
cannot defend themselves,” he said.
9 The discovery that the mice had adapted their
diets and supersized themselves was made by © Guardian News & Media 2008
Richard Cuthbert, a professional ornithologist First published in The Guardian, 20/05/08
who spent a year on the island in 2001 and
stumbled on the phenomenon as he was

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What is the only hope for the survival of the endangered bird species on Gough Island?
a. That insects and seeds are introduced to the island to feed the mice.
b. That the mice are taken from the island and sent elsewhere.
c. That the mice are destroyed by poison.

2. Why can’t the parents defend their chicks?

a. Because the mice are too big.
b. Because they have no experience of predators.
c. Because they are too fat.

3. What is the ‘glimmer of light’ referred to in the text?

a. The fact that New Zealand and Australia have eradicated rats from islands.
b. The fact that the UK government has supported the RSPB and the feasibility study.
c. The fact that the cold South Atlantic weather may kill the mice.

4. Which answer best describes how the Gough Island mice have evolved?
a. They have become much bigger and now only eat meat.
b. They have stopped eating insects and seeds and started eating birds.
c. They have adapted their diets and grown to up to three times the size of ordinary domestic house mice.

386
Mice eating rare seabirds alive
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to
help you.
1. A noun meaning a rock or group of rocks. (para 1)
2. A two-word expression meaning to arrive on land after a long voyage. (para 1)
3. A phrasal verb meaning to hide in a ship or plane and travel without permission. (para 1)
4. A two-word expression meaning to leave a ship without permission. (para 1)
5. A two-word expression meaning a report on the chances something has of being successful. (para 4)
6. A verb meaning to keep biting something. (para 6)
7. A phrasal verb meaning to find something by accident. (para 9)
8. An adjective meaning difficult to accept as true. (para 9)

5 Chunks

Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. house domestic mice ordinary
2. the species bird rarest of several world’s
3. feasibility a funded study government
4. most the critically world’s species endangered
5. of groups alliance a conservation global
6. the colony most world in the seabird important

6 Word formation

Complete the sentences about the text using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each
sentence.
1. The effects of the growing numbers of mice on Gough Island could be _______________ for the bird population.
[catastrophe]
2. The UK government has supported the RSPB _______________. [propose]
3. Britain’s _______________ of the ecology of its overseas territories has been criticized. [maintain]
4. The Tristan albatross and Gough bunting are facing _______________. [extinct]
5. The _______________ of the Gough Island mice is extraordinary. [evolve]
6. The birds have no defence against the mice; they are _______________. [defend]

6 Discussion

Is it important if rare species become extinct? Should governments and conservationists intervene in
situations like this or should they simply let nature take its course?

387
Families struggling as bills begin to bite
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer: What do you think?

a) How much do the following items cost in your local supermarket?

• a loaf of bread _______________
• a litre of milk _______________
• a dozen eggs _______________
• a packet of pasta _______________

b) How do these prices compare with those of a year ago?

c) Skim-read the article to find out (on average) how much the items currently cost in Britain.

Note: Tesco and Asda are two of the largest supermarket chains in the UK.

2 Key words

Find the key words in the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. In the sea, not on land: __________________. (para 1)

2. When you usually do something, you __________________ to do it. (para 4)
3. A verb meaning to be different in different situations. __________________ (para 5)
4. A noun meaning something which is like something that happened before: __________________. (para 5)
5. When you are __________________, you have no money in the bank account and your balance is below
zero. (para 8)
6. A noun meaning a way to solve a problem in which people accept they cannot have everything they want:
__________________. (para 9)
7. An adjective used to describe poultry that are kept together in small spaces: __________________. (para 9)
8. The opposite of 7 above: __________________. (para 9)
9. __________________ are products that a company produces for itself. They usually have the name of the
shop on the label. (para 11)
10. __________________ are feelings of doubt about whether something is good or right. (para 12)
11. When something is famous for being bad, it is __________________ bad. (para 13)
12. When you __________________ something, you formally start it. (para 13)
13. A __________________ is a set of plans set by a government. (para 13)
14. When you __________________ something, you throw it away. (para 14)
15. Something that is __________________ is confused, in the wrong order, or upside down. (para 14)

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Families struggling as bills begin to bite
Level 3 Advanced

Global food crisis meat prices are up too. These increases represent
Families struggling as bills begin to bite the sharpest rise in food prices since records began.

Esther Addley 7 “The odd thing is that a lot of people seem to

May 29, 2008 have only just noticed,” says Alex Beckett, a food
journalist. “In fact, food prices have been going
1 For the two weeks in every month that her husband up for quite some time, but they have dramatically
Jim is working offshore on oil rigs, Sharon Wall is at soared in the last 18 months.”
home with their four young children. As Sharon does
not drive, and there are no good quality food shops 8 In his small local Asda, Jim Wall pauses in front
within walking distance, feeding the junior Walls is a of a shelf of bread, running through his head the
little more complicated than for most families. small, familiar calculations – 5p, 12p, 24p – that
can make the difference between ending the
2 The first thing that Jim Wall does on his way month overdrawn, and not. Warburton’s farmhouse
home from the oil rigs is call in at a large Tesco loaves, the family favourite, are £1.12 each. He
supermarket on the outskirts of Aberdeen, to buy “a puts two loaves of Asda Baker’s Gold, 95p each, in
bit of everything”. Although the family has a weekly his trolley. “When you’re going through almost a loaf
box of vegetables delivered from a local farmers’ of bread a day, that 17p does make a difference.”
market, his return is eagerly awaited.
9 Eggs, too, involve a compromise: “I really don’t
3 “I always fill up the fridge and freezers before I like the way battery chickens are kept, but six plain
go, and then when I come back I have to do it all eggs are just 88p, and here you have 12 free range
over again,” he says. “I know the cupboards will be for £2.92.” In the end he compromises with a dozen
almost empty by that stage.” The couple say their ‘barn eggs’ for £2.52.
weekly food bill is usually around £150, though in
the last four days they’ve spent £220. A few years 10 Food miles, pesticides, and fair trade also concern
ago, they reckon, they spent about £100 a week. them, Sharon Wall says, but these days ethics can
feel something of an expensive luxury. “We try to
4 “Bread and milk are classic examples,” says her get bits of organic food; I try to get the fair trade
husband. “I think it was about 75p for a loaf of Asda coffee. Price comes into it, though. Some weeks I
bread just a couple of months back, now it’s try to pick up the fair trade coffee, whereas other
almost £1.” “I tend to go and get a little bit of weeks I think, I just can’t afford it this week.”
shopping when he’s away, and what used to cost
me £20 to £25 is now £35, almost £40, for pretty 11 Stores look rather different than they used to:
much the same amount of stuff,” says Sharon Wall. budget and own-brand ranges are now found
“I was in Asda the other day and I thought, oh, I’ve front and centre in displays. “We are seeing more
got hardly anything here and it’s come to £20!” promotions than ever, says Andrew Opie, from the
British Retail Consortium, which represents leading
5 The numbers and the precise circumstances may British supermarket chains, “and these tend to
vary, but in recent months the Walls’ experience be straightforward reductions in price, rather than
has found echoes in family budgets up and down bogofs (‘buy one get one free’ offers).”
Britain. For many, food price increases – a pound
here, £10 there – are starting to hurt. 12 The Wall family welcome offers, of course, but with
reservations. “The things that aren’t good for you,
6 Bread costs 20% more than it did a year ago and the cookies and the cakes and the crisps, are the
rice 60% more. Pasta has gone up by 81% in some things that are on offer” says Jim Wall.
shops, and in Tesco it was found to be 113% more
expensive. Butter costs 60% more than it did and 13 Late last year, in response to high prices and the

389
Families struggling as bills begin to bite
Level 3 Advanced
country’s notoriously poor nutrition, the Scottish – and bins £10bn-worth of food a year, including,
parliament initiated a ‘national food debate’ in every day, 550,000 chickens and 5.1m potatoes
order to come up with a comprehensive policy for – they argue that talk of supermarket prices is
food provision in Scotland. topsy-turvy at best.

14 This is a conversation that needs to happen not © Guardian News & Media 2008
only in Scotland, say experts. For as long as First published in The Guardian, 29/05/08
Britain consumes so much more than it produces

3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to the questions in the article.

1. Which food item has had the sharpest price increase?

a) bread
b) pasta
c) butter
d) milk

2. How much has the Wall’s food bill risen by in the last few years?
a) 15%
b) 25%
c) 50%
d) 60%

3. When they can afford it, the Walls buy...

a) barn eggs.
b) organic milk.
c) cakes and crisps.
d) fair trade coffee.

4. The Scottish parliament’s national food debate aims to...

a) persuade people to eat less chickens and potatoes.
b) provide cheap food for all.
c) get people to eat healthier food.
d) force out large supermarket chains.

5. If a loaf of bread costs £1, which of the following offers would save you the most money?
a) bogof
b) two for the price of one
c) half price
d) 50% off

390
Families struggling as bills begin to bite
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

a) Match the words to make collocations (word pairs) from the article.

walking anything
eagerly circumstances
classic calculations
hardly budget
pretty distance
family soared
precise example
dramatically luxury
familiar much
expensive awaited

b) Now use the collocations to make sentences of your own.

!
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........................................................................................................................................................

5 Discussion

If you had to reduce your weekly food bill by 20%, how would you go about it?

6 Webquest

How does www.mysupermarket.co.uk help British shoppers save money and calories? Go to the website
and watch the demo video to find out.
Also find out what the traffic light food labelling system is by going to http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/
foodlabels/trafficlights/.

391
The man who will free-fall to Earth
Level 3 Advanced

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

plunge foolhardy embolism abort foiled

harnessed exceed weightlessness gaze gondola

1. If you do something ____________________, you ignore obvious dangers in a stupid way.

2. ____________________ is a situation in which you have no weight because you are outside the Earth’s
atmosphere.
3. A ____________________ is the part of a hot-air balloon that people travel in.
4. If you ____________________ a particular speed, you go faster than it.
5. If you ____________________ at something, you look at it for a long time because it is attractive or interesting.
6. To ____________________ is to fall very quickly from a great height.
7. If you ____________________ a mission, you stop it because it is too dangerous to continue.
8. An ____________________ is a medical condition in which a blood vessel in your body becomes blocked by a
mass of blood.
9. If an attempt to do something is ____________________, it is prevented from happening.
10. If something is ____________ to something else, it is firmly attached to it.

2 What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. The record for the highest parachute jump is a jump from over 100,000 feet.

2. It is impossible for a free-fall parachutist to travel faster than the speed of sound.

3. At 40,000 feet there is still enough oxygen to breathe.

4. The weather has no effect on attempts to break parachute-jumping records.

5. At a height of 12 miles, your blood will boil if your pressure suit fails.

6. The world record parachute jump was set nearly 50 years ago.
D
E

392
The man who will free-fall to Earth
Level 3 Advanced

The man who will free-fall to Earth can a man survive when crossing the
sound barrier?”
From over 130,000ft, the ultimate parachute
jumper will break the sound barrier while on his 5 The former paratrooper has been preparing
way down himself since 1988, when the French space
Caroline Davies agency selected him to free-fall and parachute
May 25, 2008 from near-space to test potential methods
of escape for astronauts. After physical and
1 For twenty years Michel Fournier has worked psychological tests, he was chosen for the
towards a dream that is literally out of this mission, but the programme was aborted. So
world. It is to fly to the very edge of the Earth’s he decided to do it himself, selling his home and
atmosphere, experience the weightlessness most of his belongings and pleading for private
and deep blackness of space, gaze down upon donations to fund the $20m needed for training
the Earth – and then jump. Now the 64-year- and equipment. He has tried twice before, but
old retired French army officer is set to fulfil been foiled by the weather or technical problems
it. Today, if the weather is favourable, he will before getting off the ground.
attempt Le Grand Saut – The Great Leap – from
almost 25 miles high up over the great plains of 6 From today, though, there is a small window of
Saskatchewan in Canada. opportunity when the conditions are perfect and
he and his 40-strong team are determined to take
2 His plan is to climb into the pressurised gondola advantage. Fournier will breathe pure oxygen
of a 650ft balloon, which resembles a giant for two to three hours before lift-off to prevent
jellyfish, and make a two-hour journey up to decompression sickness. He will ascend in the
130,000ft. Then he will step out of the capsule capsule harnessed to the giant balloon to the
and, wearing only a special spacesuit, helmet very edge of space. The pressure will then be let
and parachute, plunge back down. It will take 15 off gradually to allow him to make his jump.
minutes, during which he will break through the
sound barrier. 7 It is estimated that he will be in freefall for around
eight minutes, exceeding the speed of sound
3 It may seem extremely foolhardy, even suicidal. – 770mph – within 40 seconds and going on to
At 40,000ft there is not enough oxygen to approaching 1,000mph. At lower altitude, wind
breathe and the threat of suffering a fatal resistance will slow down his fall and his parachute
embolism. At 12 miles up, should his pressure is designed to open at around 20,000ft.
suit fail, his blood could begin to boil because
of the air pressure, according to scientists who 8 If he succeeds, he will have broken records for
have been advising him on his mission. Should the fastest free-fall, the longest free-fall, the
his body become exposed, he would lose highest altitude for a human balloon flight, and
consciousness and suffer brain damage within the highest parachute jump. The previous record
very few minutes. jump from a balloon was performed in 1960 by
Joe Kittinger, now 79, a former US Air Force
4 But if he succeeds, he will smash four world pilot who leapt from 102,800ft and exceeded
records, falling longer, further and faster than 600mph in 1960. He has been in correspondence
any human ever has. “It’s not a question of with Fournier. “I told him many years ago,
world records,” he said from his base in North it’s definitely beautiful but very hostile. If the
Battleford. “What is important are what the pressure suit fails, you die,” he said.
results from the jump will bring to the safety
of the conquest of space. However, the main 9 Hot on Fournier’s heels is Steve Truglia, a
question being asked today by all scientists is, 45-year-old stuntman from London and former

393
The man who will free-fall to Earth
Level 3 Advanced

member of the British Special Forces, who

intends to take on whatever record Fournier
succeeds in breaking. He reportedly plans a
similar jump over the United States in July.
Claude-Jean Harel, from Canada’s Great
Excursions Company who is working with
Fournier’s team, said that he had faith. “It is
impossible not to be drawn into the dream, no
matter how difficult to achieve it seems.”

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Observer, 25/05/08

3 Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Why did Michel Fournier decide to plan his free-fall mission himself?
a. Because the French space agency programme was aborted.
b. Because it was too expensive for the French space agency to fund it.
c. Because technical problems foiled the French space agency mission.

2. Which sentence best describes his potential achievement?

a. If he succeeds he will be the first man to break through the sound barrier.
b. If he succeeds he will break a number of records simultaneously.
c. If he succeeds he will be the oldest man since Joe Kittinger to hold the record.

3. What does Fournier describe as important?

a. Contributing to the safety of the conquest of space.
b. Breaking world records.
c. Breaking through the sound barrier.

4. Why is the jump described as “foolhardy”?

a. Because only a stupid person would attempt it.
b. Because weightlessness can make you do stupid things.
c. Because a fatal accident could occur for a number of reasons.

394
The man who will free-fall to Earth
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to
help you.
1. A four-word expression meaning extremely good or impressive. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning the part of a space vehicle in which people travel. (para 2)
3. A modal verb used instead of if for describing a situation that may possibly happen. (para 3)
4. A verb meaning to ask for something in an urgent or emotional way. (para 5)
5. A three-word expression meaning a chance to do something that will only be available to you for a short time.
(para 6)
6. A two-word expression meaning a serious medical condition caused by a sudden decrease in pressure around
the body. (para 6)
7. A four-word expression meaning to write letters to and receive letters from someone. (para 8)
8. A five-word expression meaning following close behind someone. (para 9)

5 Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.
1. suffer a. a dream
2. lose b. a mission
3. fulfil c. a record
4. take d. oxygen
5. break/smash e. consciousness
6. have f. brain damage
7. abort g. faith
8. breathe h. advantage

6 Phrasal verbs

Match the verbs with the definitions.

1. take on a. release
2. draw in(to) b. contribute to
3. let off c. continue
4. bring to d. compete against
5. work towards e. involve (often against someone’s will)
6. go on f. prepare for

6 Discussion
Is Michel Fournier brave or foolhardy? Should people risk their lives to break records?

395
Is this the end of budget travel?
Level 3 Advanced

1 Warmer: Airlines

Virgin Atlantic easyJet Qantas Ryanair

Air France – KLM Silverjet British Airways (BA)

Categorize these airlines into:

a) budget airlines: ____________________________________________

b) national airlines: ___________________________________________

c) other: ____________________________________________________

Have you flown with any of these airlines? If not, would you like to, and where would you go?

2 Key words

Find the key words and phrases in the article. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you.

1. An adjective meaning cheap which is only used before a noun: ___________________. (title)
2. An adjective used to describe a company or person who has admitted they have no money:
___________________. (para 1)
3. A financial term that means the product is being put under pressure from both ends of the market (supply and
demand) leading to a price increase: ___________________. (para 1)
4. This is what happens to a company when it loses all its money and ceases to operate: __________________.
(para 2)
5. When a company does this, they neither make a profit nor lose money: ___________________. (para 2)
6. When something is this, it is almost certain to happen or occur in the near future: ___________________.
(para 4)
7. A ___________________ is a regular or important feature of something. (para 5)
8. ___________________ is the practice of making advance purchases of fuel at a fixed price for future delivery
to protect against anticipated price increases. (para 7)
9. This word has a double meaning. Either a confusing or uncontrolled situation, or sudden violent movements of
air: ___________________. (para 8)
10. Saving money by taking a lower quality product or one that has less extras and costs less:
___________________. (para 8)
11. A company which is in severe trouble, but still with some hope of recovery, may be put into
___________________. (para 8)
12. To have enough money to pay for something: ___________________. (para 9)
D •
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

M W P
O DO O
FR BE C
N T
O

NEWS LESSONS / Is this the end of budget travel? / Advanced

O
H
•P
CA

396
Is this the end of budget travel?
Level 3 Advanced
Is this the end of budget travel? 5 Add-on fees for bags and refreshments are a staple
of the budget airline industry, but long-established
Bankruptcies increase as major airlines consider
airlines have, up to now, refused to charge for
charges for baggage and food
these services in case they lose out
Dan Milmo, Houston to competitors.
June 6, 2008
6 Echoing recent remarks from the BA boss, Willie
1 The list of bankrupt airlines is growing by the week, Walsh, McCulloch said fares would also have to
but the biggest casualty of the oil squeeze in the rise if airlines were going to stay in business. With
industry could be cheap fares and the holiday oil trading near $130 a barrel, most airlines are
plans of a generation of people who grew up with technically unprofitable. BA and Virgin Atlantic have
affordable flying. A decade of low ticket prices increased fuel surcharges over the past week in an
has enabled people to fly easily to other countries attempt to cover their costs.
for weekend breaks and has made Ryanair an
unlikely factor in the market for second homes in 7 According to analysts at the investment bank
continental Europe. But airline executives warn that Credit Suisse, the budget airlines will have to take
fares have to rise. action. “Without the benefit of fuel hedging we do
not believe that any airline can be profitable in the
2 Ryanair warned that the high cost of oil would medium term – not even easyJet and Ryanair,”
force it to raise fares by about 5% this year. The said Credit Suisse.
budget airline, which has claimed that many of its
rivals may soon go bust, admitted that it will only 8 Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said on
break even this year if oil remains around $130 a Tuesday that the airline, which cut fares by around
barrel. Ryanair and easyJet are dominant carriers 1% last year, would survive and profit through
in the European budget segment and rely on low the turbulence. “People are getting more price
fares to fill their aircraft, squeezing more money sensitive, they’re trading down and flying with us,
out of passengers by charging for add-ons such as at a time when the business-only airlines are going
luggage check-in and hotel bookings. bust,” said O’Leary, referring to Silverjet’s fall into
administration last Friday. Silverjet, a UK-based
3 British Airways, Air France – KLM and Qantas are transatlantic airline, became the latest airline to
hoping to find their way out of trouble by raising enter administration due to financial problems,
fares, although a leading industry executive warned joining eight US airlines and two other airlines that
that established carriers could also start charging operated flights from the UK.
passengers for baggage check-in and food amid
soaring oil prices. The head of one of the world’s 9 “In the long term, no industry can exist if it doesn’t
biggest airline alliances, oneworld, whose members cover its costs,” said Toby Nicol, easyJet’s director
include BA and Qantas, said the group would of communications. Fuel accounts for about a
consider changing membership rules to allow third of airline budgets, and the recent steep price
budget-style charges. increase is causing enormous problems for an
industry that had barely recovered from the impact
4 “If the industry moves to a standard of charging for of the 9/11 attacks.
an apple juice in economy class, the alliance will
move in that direction too,” said John McCulloch, © Guardian News & Media 2008
oneworld’s managing partner. Asked if baggage First published in The Guardian Weekly, 06/06/08
check-in charges were also on the horizon, he
added: “Airlines would argue that it’s the right way
to do it. It’s £20 a bag, £10 a meal. We are going to
see much more of that.”

397
Is this the end of budget travel?
Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check

Find the answers to the questions in the article.

1. Before British people buy second homes in Europe, they usually...

a) … check oil prices.
b) … check if budget airlines fly there.
c) … check train fares.
d) … check with Credit Suisse.

2. National airlines are initially trying to find a way through the crisis by...
a) … running less planes.
b) … charging for apple juice.
c) … charging for baggage check-in.
d) … raising fares.

3. If this doesn’t work, they will consider charging for...

a) … fuel hedging.
b) … food and baggage.
c) … life jackets.
d) … checking-in.

4. If oil prices go above $130 a barrel, most airlines…

a) … will go bust.
b) … won’t be able to carry baggage.
c) … won’t be able to cover costs.
d) … will have to sell their planes.

5. An industry can only exist if it can...

a) … trade down.
b) … go into administration.
c) … go bust.
d) … cover costs.

398
Is this the end of budget travel?
Level 3 Advanced

4 Vocabulary: Collocations

Match the following words into pairs. Explain how they are used in the context of the article.

weekend carriers
continental rules
dominant surcharges
hotel Europe
airline breaks
membership bookings
fuel attacks
9/11 alliances

5 Discussion

How would an increase in airfares and surcharges for baggage and food affect your decisions when
planning a holiday or business trip? Are there any other factors that might influence your decision
whether to fly or use an alternative method of transport?

6 Webquest

What should you do if you have booked and paid for a flight on an airline that has gone into
administration? Would you be able to get your money back?
Find the answers in the FAQs (frequently asked questions) on Silverjet’s website:
http://www.flysilverjet.com/.

399
The night-walkers of Uganda
Level 1 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key Words
Fill the gaps using these words from the text:
1. crave
2. overwhelmed
3. breed
4. thug
5. abduction
6. warp
7. fundamentalist
8. raid
9. subdued
10. encampment

2 Find the information

1. c; 2. a; 3. c; 4.b

3 Comprehension check
1. b; 2. d; 3. f; 4. a; 5. c; 6. e; 7. h; 8. g

4 Vocabulary 1 - Adjective order

1. a tiny mud hut
2. giant white canvas tents
3. stark concrete buildings
4. a Christian fundamentalist rebel group

5 Vocabulary 2 – Compound modifiers

1. the sun-scorched roadside
2. rolled-up blankets
3. a 14-year-old girl
4. the longest-running civil war
5. thief-proof metal doors
6. a war-damaged society

6 Vocabulary 3 - Phrasal verbs

1. out
2. without
3. up
4. for
5. up
6. up
7. in
8. out

400
No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced
Key:
2. Pre-reading 2 Key Words 5. Vocabulary 1 Word Search
1. to object to sth 1. a strike
2. to witness sth 2. a yellow card
3. defiance 3. sewage
4. to cheer sb on 4. sacked
5. a dozen 5. guaranteed
6. a migrant 6. met targets
7. to spring up 7. (a) quota
8. a walking frame 8. (to) recruit
9. a polytunnel 9. (an) irony
10. to descend on (a place) 10. a strike

3. Post-reading Point of view 6. Vocabulary 2 Phrasal Verbs

The writer appears to sympathize more with the 1. 1. pulling up the plants
workers. He gives lots of space to various individual 2. cheered her on
workers, their complaints, and the unpleasant condi- 3. descend on Hertfordshire
tions of their contracts. He gives much less space to the 4. two villages have sprung up
manager, and gives the last word to one of the workers, 5. documents drawn up by S&A Davies
repeating and explaining the point made in the title. 6. set out the terms and conditions
7. when 3,500 people turn up
4. Detailed Comprehension
2. 1-d; 5-a; 6-b; 7-c
1. False; she used a walking frame
2. True
3. False; ‘a hero not just for those people in
Herefordshire who object…’
4. False; ‘the workers started clapping, and then
cheered her on’
5. False; ‘football pitches, internet cafes and even
saunas’.
6. True
7. True
8. False; ‘for £30 they have access to medical and
translation advice’
9. True
10.False; ‘We had superb people. Now ... Some
countries ... have sent over their unemployed
drunks’

401
Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key vocabulary 5 Vocabulary – verb + noun collocations
1. tip-off 1. c
2. glamorous 2. g
3. premium 3. f
4. machete 4. e
5. jurisdiction 5. b
6. non lethal 6. d
7. secluded 7. h
8. vulnerable 8. a
9. laden
10. plunder
6 Vocabulary – word-building
1. piracy, piratical
2 What do you know? 2. seclusion, secluded
1. c 3. attacker, attack
2. a 4. robber, robbery
3. c 5. variety, various/varied
4. b 6. investigator, investigation
5. a 7. security, secure
8. hijacker, hijacking6
3 Comprehension check
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. T
8. F

4 Vocabulary – find the verb

1. burst in
2. pocket
3. adore
4. ambush
5. repel
6. pursue
7. ram
8. detain

402
No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced
Key:

1. Pre-Reading 1 Key words. 4. Vocabulary development Collocations

1. slum 1. asylum seekers
2. threaten 2. state funding
3. prohibited 3. refugee status
4. asylum 4. drug addicts
5. funding 5. appeal hearing
6. appeal 6. food vouchers
7. deport 7. slum clearance
8. vouchers 8. house husband

2. Pre-reading 2 Guess the facts 5. Vocabulary development 2

Find the word
1. True, though the text doesn’t actually say so.
1. persona non grata
2. True.
(* Latin, but commonly used in English)
3. False; they are not supposed to, but many try to
2. bruised
remain secretly, ‘undergound’.
3. swollen
4. True, they can appeal.
4. shaken
5. False; see the title: ‘has been given the go-ahead’,
5. a hostel
para 5: ‘at this time the…tribunal judged that….’, and
6. mould
para 11: ‘in April…’
7. clicked
8. beams
3. Comprehension check 9. tie the knot
1. d
2. f
3. c
4. h
5. a
6. g
7. i
8. e
9. b

403
Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY

1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary – Find the word

1. conviction; 1. barely;
2. disobedient; 2. tempting;
3. widower; 3. crucial;
4. flicker; 4. cleric;
5. disinclined; 5. consent;
6. affection; 6. string
7. perpetuate;
8. cuddle up;
5 Vocabulary Phrasal verbs
9. cajole;
1. c;
10. deters
2. a;
3. e;
2 True or False? 4. f;
1. T; 5. d;
2. F; 6. b;
3. F; 7. h;
4. T; 8. g
5. F

6 Vocabulary Prepositions
3 Comprehension check 1. of;
1. c; 2. without;
2. b; 3. in;
3. a; 4. for;
4. a 5. against;
6. without

404
Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY

1 Key Vocabulary - Verbs 4 Find the Word

1. g; 1. whiff;
2. i; 2. tighten one’s grip on;
3. f; 3. cache;
4. b; 4. fiefdom;
5. j; 5. access;
6. c; 6. perpetrator;
7. h; 7. brought to light;
8. a; 8. revelation
9. e;
10. d
5. Vocabulary Word Building
1. collaborator, collaboration;
2 What do you know? 2. recruiter, recruitment;
1. c; 3. investigator, investigation;
2. b; 4. blackmailer, blackmail;
3. b; 5. participant, participation;
4. c. 6. prosecutor, prosecution;
7. perpetrator, perpetration;
8. reformer, reform
3 Comprehension Check
1. T;
2. F; 6 Pronunciation Word Stress
3. F; 1. inquiry, reporter, election, opinion, recruiter
4. T; 2. foreigner, execute, communist, tragedy, institute
5. F;
6. F;
7. T;
8. T

405
Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
2. Pre-Reading Key Words 5. Useful Phrases Word Order
1. an icon 1. to swing both right and left
2. hierarchical 2. to drain its surplus wine-lake
3. the left 3. will not go down without a fight
4. erupt 4. have stopped listening to the street.
5. an elite 5. to shift power away from the Paris elite
6. outraged 6. is making no secret of trying to appeal to
7. a clique 7. training ground of the French ruling class
8. taboos. 8. going and kneeling in front of George Bush
9. has rocketed from relative obscurity to the top of the
opinion polls
3. General comprehension
1. No; she’s the only one in the top 50 most popular
French people (1) 6. Useful Phrases Meaning
2. No; she wants to change the system so that women 1. g
have equal power. (1) 2. e
3. No; they want Royal to ‘rescue’ them from his 3. b
government, which they think created inequality and 4. i
depression. (3) 5. c
4. No; he is ‘hopeful’ that he may become president, 6. d
and is against immigration. (4) 7. f
5. No; some people thought her ideas on these and 8. h
other issues were not clear enough. (9) 9. a
6. No; she admired Tony Blair, although most of ‘her’
party (not ‘his’) didn’t trust him. (9)
7. No; she decided to try to become president
because she had something new to say. (10)
8. No; she wants to speak for, or represent, the
ordinary people. (10)
9. No; people outside her circle are not sure of her real
opinions, because they seem to change quite a lot. (11)

4. Vocabulary Development 3
Near synonyms
(in any order…)
1. Fans, supporters, sympathisers
2. Personalities, celebrity
3. Ideas, vision, policy, message, measure
4. Problems, issues
5. Regions, provinces
6. Challenged, to confront
7. The people, the street
8. Royal’s inner circle, The Segosphere

406
The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2 – Taking responsibility and
1. Apartheid saying you are sorry
2. A rainbow nation Take responsibility for something Say that you are
3. A mass murderer sorry for something
4. A killing spree
5. slaughter own up to something
6. Carnage admit something
7. An atrocity
8. scrutiny apologise for something
9. An intruder atone
10. A backlash express sorrow about something
be repentant about something
2 What do you know?
a – 10
1. True; 2. True; 3. False; 4. False b–5
c–1
3 Comprehension check d–7
1–d
2–g 6 Vocabulary 3 – Abstract nouns
3–e 1. confidence
4–h 2. reduction
5–b 3. appearance
6–f 4. refusal
7–c 5. gratitude; inclusion
8–a 6. equality
7. irony
4 Vocabulary 1 – Idiomatic expressions
1. kept
2. profile
3. dropped
4. tracks
5. blind
6. bare
7. wounds

a–6
b–2
c–5
d–3
e–7
f–4
g –1

407
Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: Definitions
1 sleigh 1 maiden
2 cracker 2 steaming
3 wrapping paper 3 behemoth
4 goods 4 by the score
5 capital 5 row
6 consignment 6 microcosm
7 set off
8 detrius
2 What do you know?
1 c)
2 a) 6 Vocabulary: Collocations
3 b) 1 festive cheer
4 a) 2 building blocks
3 rechargeable batteries
4 intense row
3 Comprehension check
5 global trade
1 T 6 developing countries
2 F 7 trading partner
3 F 8 phenomenal rate
4 T 9 soft toys
5 F
6 T
7 F
8 T

4 Vocabulary: Extremes
Superlatives: the largest… ever built, the largest single
consignment, the worst labour exploitation, Britain’s
biggest export
Metaphors or similes: as wide as a motorway, a floating
world, mountains of dogfood
Adjectives: intense row, implications are terrifying,
absolute advantage, a phenomenal rate
Large numbers: 22,280kg of Vietnam tea, 12,800
MP3 players, 138,000 tins of catfood, 16bn, a 30-fold
increase, 11,000 containers…

408
Another country
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. heinous 1. c
2. schism 2. f
3. carnage 3. a
4. excommunicate 4. b
5. snippet 5. d
6. shun 6. e
7. antithesis
8. peeping Tom 6 Vocabulary: Nouns and Adjectives
9. agrarian
1. disruptive
10. predominant
2. subtlety
3. timidity
2 What do you know? 4. bewildered
1. F 5. tragic
2. T 6. conscientious
3. F 7. modernity
4. F 8. disrepectful
5. T
6. F

3 Comprehension Check
1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c

4 Vocabulary: Find the Word

1. stand out
2. peek
3. bewilderment
4. conscientious objector
5. weather-beaten
6. unadorned
7. horse-drawn buggy
8. misrepresentation

409
Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Adjectives + Nouns
1. hub 1. e
2. backlash 2. h
3. illicit 3. f
4. lucrative 4. b
5. quest 5. c
6. pariah 6. a
7. mercenary 7. d
8. commodity 8. g
9. evict
10. trivialise
6 Word Grammar: Prepositions
1. on
2 What do you know? 2. from/in
1. T 3. of
2. T 4. to
3. F 5. to
4. F 6. from
5. F
6. T

3 Comprehension check
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. c

4 Vocabulary: Find the word

1. safeguard
2. blitz
3. fuel
4. inspire
5. expel
6. remedy
7. accomplish
8. outcome

410
US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced

KEY
1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary Find the word
1. sprawl 1. net
2. census 2. gravitate
3. contentious 3. obverse
4. baby boomer 4. urban
5. tectonic shift 5. impact
6. bedrock 6. ultimate
7. stunned 7. project
8. guesswork 8. marginally
9. dispersed
10. veer
5 Vocabulary Chunks
1. a fourth-generation Chinese-American
2 What do you know? 2. the largest population growth in its history
1. b 3. the demographic centre of gravity
2. b 4. the ultimate disposable consumer society
3. c 5. a rapidly ageing white population
4. a 6 a research group focusing on immigration
5. a
6 Grammar Focus Prediction
3 Comprehension check 1. will have fallen
1. F 2. will have doubled
2. T 3. is expected
3. T 4. will take
4. T 5. will increase
5. F 6. is turning
6. F
7. F
8. T

411
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. inaugurate 1. do
2. gridlock 2. inflict
3. berate 3. diminish
4. disruption 4. occupy
5. odyssey 5. increase
6. detour 6. paralyse
7. irritability 7. suffer
8. potholed 8. give
9. clogged
10. boom

6 Vocabulary: Find the word

2 What do you think? 1. shoot-outs
1; 4; 5 2. deprivation
3. anguish
4. run-up
3 Comprehension check 5. barrios
6. slashed
1. b
7. cabbie
2. b
8. the incumbent
3. c
4. b

4 Vocabulary: Expressions
1. e
2. d
3. a
4. h
5. g
6. c
7. f
8. b

412
Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Use of to
1. portly 2. He has decided to reveal his identity.
2. tunic 3. I saw her lips begin to tremble.
3. sleigh 4. Stewart went to the bank.
4. reveal 5. He handed out $5 and $10 bills to people.
5. anonymity 6. The gifts rose to $100 bills.
6. nickname 7. He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus,
7. debilitated which has since spread to his liver.
8. incarnate 8. He hopes he might inspire someone else to take over
his Santa duties.
9. He resorted to living in his car, a yellow Datsun 510.
2 What do you know? 10. One day he finally mustered the courage to
1. approach a church to ask for help.
Santa Claus is a portly, old man. He has white hair
and a white beard. He wears a big red hat and tunic
and carries a big bag full of presents for children at 5 Vocabulary: Patterns with to
Christmas. He rides a sleigh, which is pulled by twelve 1. verb + to + infinitive: 1,2,3
reindeer. He visits people’s houses the night of 24th of 2. verb + noun phrase + to + verb: 8
December to deliver the gifts. 3. verb + noun phrase + to + noun phrase : 5
4. to + noun phrase: 6, 4, 7
5. noun phrase + to + infinitive: 10
2.
6. verb + to + verb(-ing): 9
b) He has given $1.3 million in the past 26 years.
c) He has cancer, which costs him $16,000 month.
d) When Stewart was young he lived for a while in a
6 Vocabulary: Collocations
yellow car and went to the church to ask for money.
e) In 1979, he gave twenty dollars to a waitress who 1. The reporter revealed the true identity of his source.
was working outside in the cold. This gave him the idea 2. The woman in the hospital bed next to mine was
to become Secret Santa. diagnosed with cancer.
3. The news reports on the election show the President
has won a second time.
3 Comprehension check 4. The actor who plays Spiderman appeared at the film
premiere in full costume.
1. e)
5. I finally mustered the courage to take my driving
2. c)
exam. I failed.
3. b)
6. I was laughing so hard that tears flowed down my
4. f)
cheeks.
5. d)
6. a)

413
The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word

1. undercuts 1. vast
2. grid 2. barely
3. by-product 3. horticulture
4. feasible 4. approximate
5. vessel 5. emission
6. desalinated 6. phase out
7. irrigate 7. outlook
8. vulnerable 8. in the wake of
9. fossil fuels
10. enlightened
6 Vocabulary 3: Chunks

2 What do you know? 1. into

2. between
1. T 3. on
2. F 4. in
3. F 5. with
4. F 6. over
5. F 7. for
6. T 8. of

3 Comprehension check

1. a
2. b
3. b
4. c

4 Vocabulary 1: Types of energy

1. e
2. d
3. a
4. f
5. b
6. c

414
The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced

KEY
1 Key adjectives 5 Vocabulary: Prepositions

1. f 1. to
2. d 2. to
3. g 3. to
4. a 4. to
5. h 5. into
6. b 6. against
7. c 7. to
8. e 8. in

2 Order of events 6 Vocabulary: Phrases

d; a; e; b; g; c; f 1. c
2. d
3. a
3 Comprehension check
4. e
5. f
1. b 6. b
2. b
3. c
4. a

4 Vocabulary: Find the word

1. butcher
2. siblings
3. bolted
4. recite
5. recant
6. crush
7. strangle
8. bursary

415
The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Collocations

1. plummets 1. g
2. unprecedented 2. d
3. perennial 3. h
4. dry run 4. a
5. wrangling 5. e
6. dilute 6. b
7. glitzy 7. f
8. ethos 8. c
9. dwarfed
10. unveiled
6 Homonyms

2 What do you know? 1. mock

2. currency
1. F 3. launch
2. T 4. heated
3. T 5. slick
4. F 6. dub
5. T 7. channel
6. F 8. embrace

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. c
3. a
4. b

4 Find the word

1. slick
2. corduroy
3. embrace
4. simultaneously
5. mock
6. gain currency
7. legacy
8. dub

416
Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Communication verbs

1. bipartisanship 1. hail
2. sworn in 2. announce; proclaim
3. sweep 3. exult
4. uproar 4. signal
5. legislative 5. reject
6. redeploy 6. articulate
7. inducement 7. pledge
8. bill
9. mood
5 Grammar focus
10. dwindle

Note that all these examples are more common in

2 What do you know about American formal and literary styles but sometimes occur in spoken
politics? English.

1. Republicans and Democrats 1. Never had George Bush faced such opposition from
2. Republican Congress before.
3. The US Senate 2. Rarely does the US Congress change political
4. War in Iraq colours in both houses.
5. He or she is the leader of the political party in the 3. Seldom has the Pentagon deployed so many soldiers
majority in the House of Representatives. in the Middle East.
6. Every two years. 4. Not only is it an important time for American women,
it is an important for American Muslims.
5. Under no circumstances will the President support
3 Comprehension check
funding stem cell research.

1. F
2. DS 6 Vocabulary 2: Collocations
3. F
4. T 1. make
5. DS 2. take
6. F 3. apparent
7. F 4. grasp
8. T 5. remain
9. T
10. F

417
Six thousand women missing from top jobs
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Pre-reading 1 10. Yes, because if men could request flexible working,
too, then women would not risk losing their jobs by
4. 6,000 women are needed to make an equal doing so.
male-female balance.

2 Pre-reading 2 5 Vocabulary development 1: Lexical sets

Britain Findings of the study (the research, our survey, the

report)
Fallen, decreased (slipped, dipped)
3 Key words Government, administration (politics, parliament,
elected chambers, assembly, the public sector, the civil
service)
1. elected chambers
Racial descriptions (non-white, black, from ethnic
2. amalgamated
minorities
3. sidelined
Private industry (boardrooms, the private sector,
4. headhunters
companies)
5. glass ceiling
The law (courts, judges, the judiciary, the legal system)
6. shortlists
7. thrive
8. boardrooms
9. FTSE 100
6 Vocabulary development 2: Compound
adjectives
4 General understanding
a. all-women
1. No. It means that even if they have a nanny, b. non-white
successful women still find it hard to get promotion. c. full-time
2. No. In some sectors there is a decline. d. low-paid
3. Yes, because they also need to deal with the e. under-represented
barriers that prevent women from progressing. f. male-dominated
4. Yes.
5. No. Of the 33,000, another 6,000 should be women. Now match the compound adjectives with the
6. Yes, 40 elections in 200 years. nouns they described:
7. No, it means that it would be a good idea if the
political parties had some all-female lists of 1.e
candidates for election. 2.f
8. No, the pay gap between women and men gets 3a
bigger for 30-year-olds. 4b
9. No, again, the pay gap is even bigger for part-time 5c
staff.

418
Six thousand women missing from top jobs
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
7 Vocabulary development 3: Metaphorical
language

1. enjoy an equal voice.

2. to fish in half the talent pool.
3. slip further down the career ladder.
4. spells career death.

Now match the expressions with the meanings

below:

1c
2d
3a
4b

419
Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Find the word

1. quarantine 1. keep at bay

2. fragile 2. enigma
3. graffiti 3. disrupt
4. soars 4. thereafter
5. scramble 5. overwhelm
6. alien 6. slip through
7. ecosystem 7. elitist
8. swarm 8. adhere to
9. scrawl
10. strive
5 Vocabulary: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. d

2. c
1. F 3. f
2. F 4. e
3. T 5. a
4. F 6. b
5. T
6. F
6 Vocabulary: Word stress

3 Comprehension check A. sensitive; quarantine; thoroughly; ignorance

B. enigma; campaigner; thereafter; graffiti
1. c C. introduce; overwhelm
2. b
3. a
4. b

420
Milestones that show the way to modern medicine
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Grammar: -of phrases

1. revolutionise 1. The article is about fifteen of the most important

2. pervade discoveries in medicine.
3. transmit 2. Anaesthesia was invented at the end of the 19th
4. screen century.
5. diminish 3. The nature of many illnesses was unknown before
6. achieve computers.
4. Semmelweis discovered the germ theory of disease.
5. Sanitation reduced the number of deaths from
cholera.
2 Find the information 6. Children in poor countries are often victims of
episodes of diarrhoea.
1. The British Medical Journal 7. Vaccines have saved millions of people.
2. anaesthesia 8. The risks of smoking became known in the 1950s.
3. infections
4. the pill
5. rabies
5 Vocabulary: Find the word

3 Comprehension check 1. vivid

2. transcend
1. anaesthesia 3. coined
2. antibiotics 4. lethal
3. chlorpromazine 5. dramatic / spectacular
4. computers 6. decline
5. evidence-based medicine 7. rampant
6. imaging 8. unveil
7. magic bullets
8. vaccine
9. tissue culture
10. sanitation
6 Vocabulary: Collocations (medicine)

1. to treat an illness
2. sexually transmitted disease
3. to run medical trials
4. clinical trials
5. to transmit infections
6. potent drug

421
Racism, ratings and reality TV
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

1. outraged 1. c
2. abuse 2. e
3. humiliation 3. h
4. consternation 4. g
5. aberration 5. b
6. allegation 6. d
7. falters 7. a
8. regulator 8. f
9. elocution
10. furore
6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions

2 Sequence of events 1. to
2. between
1. c 3. to
2. e 4. before
3. d 5. on
4. a 6. on
5. f 7. against
6. b 8. from

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. a
3. b
4. b

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. below par
2. to spark
3. to be on the verge of
4. to speak out
5. scary
6. petition
7. feat
8. effigy

422
Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Sequencing

1. tandem 1. d
2. glow 2. e
3. orbits 3. a
4. substorm 4. c
5. shimmers 5. f
6. turmoil 6. b
7. fluctuates
8. pinpoint
9. engulfs
6 Vocabulary 2: Prepositions
10. trigger

1. on
2 What do you know? 2. from
3. to
1. T 4. with
2. T 5. with
3. F 6. into
4. F 7. of
5. F 8. of
6. F

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c

4 Vocabulary 1: Adjectives

1. unparalleled
2. long-standing
3. crucial
4. deadly
5. magnificent
6. elusive
7. precise
8. alert

423
Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Pre-reading 1 6 Collocations

2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is 1. released from custody
accused of attempted murder. 2. rigorous screening process
3. space shuttle
4. by her own admission
3 Key words
5. appearance in court
6. carefully chosen
1. a tracking device 7. very cramped spaces
2. a nappy 8. under intense stress
3. screening
4. stalking
5. alleged 7 Compound words
6. docked
7. a shuttle 1. Folding knife
2. Latex gloves
3. Rubber tubing
4 General understanding
4. Active-duty
1. g 5. 4-inch blade
2. a 6. In-house
3. e 7. Bin liners
4. b 8. Pepper spray
5. h 9. First-degree
6. c
7. d
8. f

5 Vocabulary development

1. bizarre
2. battery
3. custody
4. bail
5. baffling
6. affidavit
7. slammed
8. slapped
9. rarefied
10. covers

424
‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor meets his children
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Phrasal verbs

1. prosaic 1. c
2. striking 2. e
3. opt 3. f
4. donor 4. a
5. spike 5. d
6. siblings 6. b
7. offspring
8. sperm
9. conceives
10. counsel
5 Expressions

1. at odds with
2 Correct the statements 2. holy moly
3. extended family
1. Jeffrey Harrison donated sperm in the 1980s. 4. happy-go-lucky
2. He was paid between $50 and $100 per sample. 5. self-regulation
3. So far, three of Mr Harrison’s offspring have 6. come of age
managed to find him.
4. Mr Harrison confirmed his identity by e-mailing
a copy of his birth certificate to Wendy Kramer of the
Donor Sibling Registry website.
6 Noun + verb collocations
5. There is little regulation of sperm donations
in the United States.
6. There was a sharp increase in sperm donations 1. f
in the mid-1980s. 2. d
3. a
4. e
5. b
3 Comprehension check 6. c

1. c
2. c
3. b
4. a

425
Super-rich get richer
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. eligible 1. ranking
2. notable 2. accumulate
3. scour 3. charitable causes
4. compile 4. on the back of
5. entrepreneur 5. commodities
6. tycoon 6. scion
7. magnate 7. clean up
8. inherit 8. decidedly
9. retail
10. founder
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. b

2. h
1. T 3. f
2. F 4. g
3. F 5. c
4. F 6. a
5. T 7. e
6. T 8. d

6 Vocabulary 3: Word formation

3 Comprehension check
1. founder
1. c 2. accumulation
2. b 3. inheritance
3. b 4. valuable
4. a 5. emergence
6. investment(s)
7. growth
8. rising

426
Dead or alive, Bin Laden haunts US
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Expressions

1. long-winded 1. c
2. corruption 2. e
3. remote 3. d
4. bounty 4. a
5. ruthless 5. f
6. enclave 6. b
7. henchman
8. martyr
6 Vocabulary 3: Word building
9. discount
10. cleric
1. for/against
2. against/for
2 What do you know? 3. to
4. on
1. F 5. of
2. T 6. of
3. F 7. to
4. T 8. with
5. T
6. F

3 Comprehension check

1. c
2. a
3. b
4. b

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. jihadi
2. hunched
3. frown upon
4. puritan
5. vulgar
6. milestone
7. maddeningly
8. to corner

427
Big blasts or tiny tugs
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Pre-reading 1: Key words 4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the

word
1. an orbit
2. a catastrophe 1. hurtles
3. a tractor 2. befalls
4. an asteroid 3. counter
5. a collision 4. detonated
6. to deflect 5. hover
7. an ion 6. address
8. a tug 7. impending
9. propulsion 8. unduly
10. to devastate
5 Vocabulary development 2:
2 Pre-reading 2: Prediction Collocations

1. No. The first paragraph is simply describing what 1 mass e extinction

could happen.
2 outside i chance
2. They have found several possible solutions, but not
decided on a particular one. 3 nuclear f bomb
4 unstoppable a force
5 master c plan
3 General understanding
6 sticky j problem
1. False; this is something that could happen in the 7 public b relations
future. 8 discussion d paper
2. True 9 widespread h panic
3. True 10 risk g management
4. True
5. False; they themselves break up when they enter
the atmosphere. 6 Language development: Useful
6. False; they would hit the surface of the asteroid and expressions
change its path.
7. False; it would be sent into space 10 years in 1. It is only a matter of time.
advance, to get into position. 2. But perhaps not all hope is lost / But perhaps all
8. True hope is not lost.
9. False; but knowing in advance would give them the 3. If the worst comes to the worst.
problem of deciding when and how to tell the public. 4. For the first time in known history.
10. True 5. Though no one has actually tried it yet.
6. It was the right thing to do.

428
Celebrity boot camp
Level 3 Advanced

Key
1. Pre-reading 1: 7. slung
1. Opinions will vary. 8. to mop
2. b. 9. a scrum
3. a. (Naomi) Campbell 10. empathy
b. opinions will vary

2. Pre-reading 2: Key words 5. Vocabulary development 2:

a. garbage
Compound adjectives
b. assault 1 chauffeur- e driven
c. a community sentence 2 bemused- g looking
d. a boot camp 3 week- a long
e. combats 4 two- f day
f. an SUV (a Sport & Utility Vehicle) 5 six- h inch
g. a shift 6 calf- b high
h. stilettos 7 concrete- d rich
8 red- c brick

3. General understanding Noticing the rule:

1. No; that’s what it looked like, but she was on her Note that in compound adjectives with numbers, the
way to start her punishment. noun part stays singular even if the number is plural,
2. No; the writer wants us to imagine that she may e.g. ‘six-inch’ heels, not ‘six-inches’ heels.
feel lost without her usual assistants.
3. Yes.
4. No; she had to pay a fine as well as doing this
6. Vocabulary development 3:
community sentence.
Common expressions
5. Yes. 1. along familiar lines g
6. Yes. 2. for heaven’s sake f
7. No; the writer imagines that when she put on 3. seeing how the other half lived j
the working clothes, she began to feel that her 4. perfect finishing touch b
punishment was heavy. 5. out of the reach of a
8. Yes. 6. the bottom line is c
9. No; the programme he runs is the community 7. So far so good i
sentence scheme. 8. out of keeping with d
10. Yes. 9. remains to be seen h
10. a healthy respect for e

4. Vocabulary development 1
1. tinted
7. Recognizing irony
2. skewy (slang) 1. the venue
3. courtesy of 2. her costume
4. stitches 3. courtesy of
5. endured 4. the guest of
6. aplomb 5. concrete-rich

429
Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. defer 1. era
2. mar 2. militant
3. accord 3. firebrand
4. discord 4. veteran
5. mindful 5. cordial
6. devolved 6. arbitrary
7. loathing 7. reconciliation
8. protracted 8. hit the ground running
9. pledge
10. watershed
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. g

2. f
1. Sinn Féin 3. c
2. DUP 4. h
3. Stormont 5. b
4. Downing St 6. e
5. Chancellor 7. d
6. uprising 8. a

6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
3 Comprehension check
1. of
1. c 2. of
2. a 3. to
3. b 4. to
4. b 5. to
6. for
7. for
8. between

430
Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 11. Homeboy Industries is Father Boyle’s organization
to help gang members get out of a life of violence.
1. a gang 12. Alfonso Visuet is an ex-gang member who has
2. to bury worked with Homeboy Industries.
3. to mourn
4. turf 4 Vocabulary 1: Ways of saying increase
5. a crackdown
6. a summit 1. escalates
7. unprecedented 2. on the ascendant
8. to vow 3. leaped or leapt
9. backfires 4. surged
5. rapidly growing
2 Read quickly
5 Vocabulary 2: Hyphenated words A
1. 120,000
2. A gang war between blacks and Hispanics. 1. gang-related
3. It brought the gang war to public awareness and 2. celebrity-drenched
sparked a police crackdown on gang violence. 3. anti-gang
4. The list of the city’s worst gangs. 4. sub-culture
5. He helps them find a job, get counselling, remove 5. high-profile
their tattoos and get education. 6. two-lane highway

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Hyphenated words B

1. Jonathan Hurtado is the 151st gang member that 1. sun-drenched

Father Boyle has buried. 2. five-lane highway
2. Father Greg Boyle helps gang members get out of a 3. drugs-related
life of crime. 4. sub-zero
3. Antonio Villaraigosa is the mayor of LA. 5. high-class
4. Harbor Gateway is the latest area of turf war.
5. Cheryl Green was a black girl murdered by gang
members.
6. 204th Street is the name of a Hispanic gang in LA.
7. Gang related crime went up by 15.7% last year.
8. Khalid Shah is the director of Stop the Violence and
is organizing a summit to try and stop the race war
in LA.
9. 11 is the number of gangs on the police ‘hit list’.
10. Alex Alonso is a gang historian who disagrees with
the idea of a hit list.

431
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 What are they called now? 3 Comprehension check

Abyssinia Ethiopia 1 c
Benadir Somalia 2 a
French Sudan Mali 3 b
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4 c
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5 b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6 c
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7 a

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns

1. collapse oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

2. conspiracy
Zimbabwe maintenance economy economic
3. whim
4. independence delusion governor conspiracy reputation
5. delusion proportion plummeted Zimbabwean discontinued
6. hyperinflation government reality independence
7. bureaucracy nationalist bureaucracy confiscation
8. regime Johannesburg agriculture
9. plummet
10. confiscate

432
Shock of the new - GM Mosquitoes
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
2 Pre-reading 2: Key words 5 Language development 2: Phrasal verbs

1. immune defence 1. wipe out

2. side-effects 2. die out
3. fauna 3. take over
4. parasite 4. carried out
5. thrives 5. gets out of
6. prey 6. finished them off
7. mutation 7. clogs up
8. wary 8. shade out
9. predators 9. brought in
10. gene 10. preying on

3 General understanding 6 Language development 3: Logical

connectors
1. e
2. g 1. although 7. despite
3. a 2. however 8. though, however
4. b 3. despite 9. however
5. c 4. though 10. despite
6. h 5. although 11. although
7. d 6. however 12. though
8. f

4 Language development 1: Word

formation

verb noun adjective adverb

release release - -
- disaster disastrous disastrously
adapt adaptation adaptive adaptively
protect protection protective protectively
- accident accidental accidentally
- extinction extinct -
introduce introduction - -
invade invasion invasive invasively
effect effect effective effectively
resist resistance resistant -

433
Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin farewell
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Collocations

1. rapport 1. g
2. foe 2. a
3. coup 3. h
4. magnanimous 4. f
5. lavish 5. b
6. momentous 6. d
7. compassionate 7. c
8. condolence 8. e
9. mourner
10. grieve
6 Vocabulary 3: Adjective + noun
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. heart
1. T 2. low-key
2. T 3. complicated
3. F 4. tranquil
4. F 5. national
5. F 6. economic
6. F 7. historic
8. human
3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. a
3. a
4. c

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. tranquil
2. celebrated
3. sanction
4. with the exception of
5. largely down to
6. legacy
7. oligarch
8. dismantle
OCPIABLEHT

434
Fearful rich keep poor at bay in Buenos Aires
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Words and expressions

1. well-heeled 1. e
2. posh 2. h
3. idyllic 3. a
4. shanty 4. g
5. exodus 5. b
6. lax 6. d
7. vagrant 7. c
8. catch 8. f
9. surge
10. meltdown
6 Vocabulary 3: Noun suffixes

2 What do you know? 1. neighbourhood

2. kidnapper
1. T 3. architecture
2. F 4. recovery
3. F 5. development
4. F 6. exclusiveness
5. T 7. hardship
6. F 8. popularity

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. a
3. b
4. c

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. plush
2. shatter
3. bounce back
4. mushroom
5. apt
6. torrent
7. snap up
8. abyss

435
Online fraudster
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context

1. b 1. b
2. e 2. a
3. c 3. b
4. d 4. b
5. f 5. a
6. a 6. b

2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Word formation

2. Despite tougher security, identity and credit card 1. sizeable

theft are at an all-time high. 2. conspiracy
3. insecure
4. interviewee
5. belief
3 Comprehension check
6. beneficial

1. Because living away from home was expensive

and he was in debt. He saw it as an easy way of
making money. 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
2. Yes. He served “a long prison sentence”.
3. Insecure websites, other criminals, phoning people to rack up debts
and asking. a fast-growing field
4. Because they see it as easy, and many cases go a spending spree
unreported. It is hard to prosecute online criminals. to commit crimes
5. Through tougher security procedures and seasoned criminals
programmes to educate the public. to serve a prison sentence
6. Because cashiers now don’t look at people’s cards. security procedures
Criminals could be pretend to be anyone. bank details

436
Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4. Very high pollution levels are found in fairly small
areas within a city.
1. pollutant 5. Pollution levels generally fall during the night-time.
2. apparent 6. Lunchtime is a particularly bad time to go out into
3. kerb the streets.
4. exhaust fumes 7. Masks are best if they fit tightly and are cleaned
5. exacerbate; aggravate regularly.
6. smug 8. Children have a faster metabolic rate and breathe
more rapidly than adults do.

2 What do you know?

5 Vocabulary 2: Adverbs - adverbs that
modify a sentence
Sentences 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 are good advice
according to the article.
1. Intriguingly, research shows that sitting on the
driver’s side of a bus exposes you to more pollution.
2. Oddly, some fires are good for the forest.
3 Comprehension check 3. Personally, I think that these forms are a waste of
time.
1. Quite a lot, it turns out. 4. Curiously, the email was sent by a person she went
2. and don’t walk behind smokers. to school with more than twenty years ago.
3. Every metre really does count when you are in 5. Obviously, the director and actors hope the movie
close proximity to traffic, according to Colvile. will be a huge success.
4. The time of year can also make a big difference. 6. Hopefully, some of the worst traffic accidents will be
5. Even the slightest gap to allow you to breathe more avoided with the introduction of the new system.
easily will cancel out any benefits.
6. Cyclists should stick to side-roads where possible.
7. Well, unless you live in a penthouse at the top of a
very tall skyscraper, then height doesn’t seem to
6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
offer significant sanctuary.
8. Fuel choice is also important.
1. take
2. expectancy
3. warning
4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation - 4. stream
adverbs 5. majority
6. fumes
1. Pollution in cities now could be seriously damaging
your health.
2. The evidence about urban pollution is hardly new.
3. Many people instinctively know that standing in
traffic is bad for your health.

437
Blair to stand down on June 27
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word

1. steadfast 1. blessed
2. unrelenting 2. fierce
3. failings 3. ultimate
4. motion 4. cabinet
5. tribute 5. impact
6. putsch 6. convenor
7. zeal 7. legitimize
8. thump 8. financially straitened
9. saga
10. legacy
6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

2 What do you know? 1. f

2, a
1. T 3. h
2. F 4. g
3. T 5. c
4. F 6. d
5. T 7. e
6. F 8. b

3 Comprehension check

1. c
2. b
3. b
4. a

4 Vocabulary 1: Phrasal verbs

1. b
2. f
3. a
4. e
5. c
6. d

438
Seize the day
Level 3 Advanced

6 Vocabulary 3: –able

Complete these sentences with adjectives ending in –able

1. A bottle that can be filled again is a ____________ bottle.

2. Material than can be recycled is ____________ material.

3. A ____________ envelope can be used again and again.

4. A bottle that cannot be returned is a ____________ bottle.

5. ____________ information can be retrieved from a computer.

6. If something is ____________, it can be washed again.

7 Discussion

How green are you? Which of the pieces of advice given in the article would you follow? Can you think of any other
simple energy-saving activities?

439
New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Collocations

1. immigration instil pride

2. immigrant improve links
3. migrant accrue credits
4. indigenous critical risk
5. citizenship growing mood
6. asylum divided society
7. integration demonstrate knowledge
8. diversity shared future

2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Phrases

anti-social behaviour, civic duty, extremism, 1. a shock to the system

council housing, English language skills, eligible to vote
a contract, voting, bank holidays, asylum float ideas
claims, prisoners ignite a row
a way of life
3 Comprehension check
2. a. a way of life
b. float ideas
1. F c. ignite a row
2. F d. eligible to vote
3. T e. a shock to the system
4. T
5. T
6. T
7. F
8. T
9. T

440
The new passage to India, business class
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. expat 1. lifestyle adjustments

2. pales 2. compare favourably
3. challenge 3. on the brink of
4. cope 4. step chance
5. retail 5. overseas
6. scramble 6. pay packet
7. chaotic 7. invaluable
8. reject 8. signature
9. crucial
10. travail
5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

2 What do you know? 1. c

2. e
1. T 3. d
2. F 4. f
3. F 5. a
4. T 6. b
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. e
2. f
1. a 3. b
2. b 4. a
3. c 5. d
4. b 6. c

441
Facebook challenges MySpace
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Top 20 websites 4 Summary

Hitwise UK - Top 20 Websites - May, 2007 2. Providing social networking sites is a boom business
This list features the most popular websites based on UK Internet usage for as is advertising on the Internet.
May, 2007, ranked by market share of visits across all Hitwise industries.

5 Pronunciation
Rank Website Market Share
1. www.google.co.uk 8.2%
2. www.ebay.co.uk 2.7% oOoo ooOo ooOoo
3. www.hotmail.com 2.64%
financiers Massachusetts sociability
4. www.google.com 2.44%
experiment introduction sociologists
5. uk.msn.com 1.54%
phenomenon
6. www.bebo.com 1.52%
7. www.orange.co.uk 1.47%
8. www.myspace.com 1.36%
9. uk.mail.yahoo.com 1.24%
10. uk.yahoo.com 0.91% 7 Idioms
11. news.bbc.co.uk 0.82%
12. www.bbc.co.uk 0.81% 1. Mark Zuckerberg didn’t cash in his chips.
13. www.youtube.com 0.75% 2. Facebook threw open its doors to everyone/all users.
14. uk.search.yahoo.com 0.69% 3. The sum Murdoch paid for MySpace made investors
15. www.amazon.co.uk 0.64% raise their eyebrows.
16. www.msn.com 0.61% 4. MySpace’s advertising deal with Google is described
17. images.google.co.uk 0.60% as being a double-edged sword.
18. www.facebook.com 0.57%
19. www.microsoft.com 0.54%
20. mail.myspace.com 0.53%

3 Companies and people

1. Google and Yahoo! are online portal and

search engines.
2. News Corp is media conglomerate that owns many
newspapers and TV networks.
3. Facebook and MySpace are online social
networking websites.
4. Rupert Murdoch is the creator and CEO of
News Corp.
5. Mark Zuckerberg is the creator and CEO
of Facebook.
6. Jerry Yang is the co-founder and CEO of Yahoo!

442
Hilton puts her fame to good use
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. cynic 1. demure
2. scenario 2. contrite
3. pundit 3. devote oneself to
4. misconception 4. vicious circle
5. compassion 5. claustrophobia
6. probation 6. nightmare
7. mainstay 7. scary
8. superficial 8. hang out
9. sincere
10. downfall
5 Vocabulary 2: Collocations

2 What do you know? 1. c

2. f
1. F 3. b
2. F 4. a
3. T 5. d
4. T 6. e
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Phobias

3 Comprehension check 1. c
2. f
1. b 3. a
2. c 4. b
3. b 5. d
4. a 6. e

443
Growing cities face catastrophe
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
2 Keywords – synonyms 4 Comprehension

1. a catastrophe 1. False – Governments around the world are not

2. a dweller prepared for the problems that come with growing
3. a transition cities.
4. inevitable 2. True
5. unprecedented 3. False – According to the report, some of the
6. shift biggest problems faced are in sanitation, transport,
7. millennia jobs, health issues, schooling, and housing
8. sprawling animal welfare.
9. slums 4. False – The report suggests that governments will
10. sanitation have to quickly build and work on houses, power,
11. proactive water, sanitation and roads.
12. yield 5. False – Most of the growth will take place in cities
with a current population of 500,000 or less.
3 Pronunciation
5 Collocations
oOoo
executive 1. climate change
comparison developing countries
catastrophe pressing concerns
millennia greenhouse gas emissions
Caribbean (AE)
2. urban, significant, economic + growth
ooOo urban + population, areas, species
population
sanitation
6 A vicious circle
Caribbean (BE)
generation
Step 1 Climate change
oOooo Step 2 Increased energy demands (e.g. for
unprecedented air-conditioning)
inevitable Step 3 Increased greenhouse gas emissions
Step 4 Raise the temperature 2 – 6 °C
ooOoo Step 5 or 1 Climate change
agricultural
(Other possible factors include: heat, pollution, smog,
ozone, reducing agricultural yields, health risks,
tornadoes, thunderstorms.)

444
Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. prone 1. life expectancy

2. distiller 2. borne out
3. fluctuations 3. liver cirrhosis
4. abuse 4. resort to
5. plausible 5. hazardous
6. rogue 6. contention
7. impoverished 7. beverages
8. mortality 8. epic scale
9. demise
10. binge
5 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + noun
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. d
1. F 2. f
2. T 3. e
3. T 4. b
4. F 5. g
5. F 6. h
6. T 7. a
8. c
3 Comprehension check
6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs followed by
1. b prepositions
2. b
3. c 1. with
4. a 2. to
3. with
4. to
5. to
6. for
7. to
8. to

445
Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4. He said that raising awareness was pointless
because everybody’s known about global warming
1. carbon dioxide for years.
2. carbon footprint
3. greenhouse gases 5. They said it would be “a bit hypocritical”. Especially
4. global warming when they’re using enough power for 10 houses just
5. climate change for [stage] lighting.
6. renewable energy.
6. They think that it is all a prelude to an
announcement of a presidential bid by Al Gore.
2 What do you know?
1. F
4 Collocations
2. T
3. T
4. F nebulous concept
5. T worst-case scenario
6. T moral complexities
7. T energy-efficient light bulbs
8. T greenhouse-gas offenders
9. F biodiesel fuel
10. F (currently) eliminate guilt
presidential bid

3 Comprehension check

1. The event hopes to pressure politicians to sign

an international treaty pledging massively reduced
emissions within two years and persuade
individuals to make lifestyle changes, such as
installing four energy-efficient light bulbs, or taking
public transport to work once a week.

2. Bands are using private jets to fly to and from the

concerts.
Spectators travelling to the London and New Jersey
concerts generated approximately 5,600 tonnes of
greenhouse gases between them – the equivalent
of 7,270 people crossing the Atlantic by plane.
Live Earth’s website is sponsored by the Chevrolet
company, which manufactures SUVs.

3. The band offsets all tour travel, and their ground

crews use biodiesel fuel where possible.

446
Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. escalate 1. tit-for-tat
2. condemn 2. persona non grata
3. extradite 3. for the foreseeable future
4. flee 4. mirror image
5. unveil 5. draconian
6. pursue 6. to put the ball (back) in(to) someone’s court
7. overcome 7. heartened
8. summon 8. stringent
9. refrain
10. expel
5 Vocabulary 2: Synonyms

2 What do you know? charge / accuse

draconian / stringent
1. F denounce / condemn
2. T order out / expel
3. F emphasize / underline
4. F
5. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
6. F

1. from
3 Comprehension check 2. into
3. with
1. b 4. to
2. c 5. to
3. c 6. from
4. b 7. on
8. with

447
YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. tilt 1. uneasy
2. free-for-all 2. comparable
3. breakthrough 3. coverage
4. clip 4. filter
5. grill 5. stick one’s toe into
6. disseminate 6. figure out
7. hail 7. short-lived
8. unsettles 8. mobilize
9. spoof
10. quirky
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. g

2. d
1. T 3. h
2. T 4. b
3. F 5. c
4. F 6. a
5. T 7. f
6. F 8. e

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Word building

1. b
2. c verb noun noun (person)
3. a 1. survive survival survivor
4. c 2. migrate migration migrant
immigration immigrant
3. preside presidency president
4. elect election elector
5. campaign campaign campaigner
6. donate donation donor
7. insure insurance insurer

448
Going under
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
2 Pre-reading B: Key words 5 Vocabulary development 2: Expressions
of quantity
1. drainage
2. paving 1. b
3. ploughs 2. a
4. runoff 3. g
5. trapped 4. h
6. sewers 5. i
7. absorb 6. c
8. freak 7. f
9. crop 8. d
10. flush 9. j
10. e
3 Comprehension check
6 Skills development:
1. False. It is much worse than usual. Referring expressions
2. True
3. True
no. word refers to...
4. False. They anticipated a lot of growth,
but not enough. 1. those people (whose houses had
5. True been flooded)
6. False. They could help if they ploughed 2. them as above
their land across the hill. 3. thousands thousands of people
7. True 4. millions millions of pounds
8. True
5. all everyone in the UK
6. they the Victorians (who built
4 Vocabulary development 1 the sewers)
7. they the sewers
1. world-renowned
8. thousands thousands of animals
2. devastation
3. strayed
4. downpour 7 Recognizing irony
5. wreak such havoc
6. dusted 1. Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly
7. at the time of going to press damp climate.
8. overwhelmed This, after all, is a country famed for its wetness.
9. foresight Rain is our national weather.
10. strategically Snow – well, we all know what happens when Britain
is dusted with a few millimetres of snow.
Given our extensive experience, surely we should
lead the world in rain management.

2. Because after that, the content is too serious for irony.

449
Texas defies federal court with execution plan
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. testimony 1. screw up
2. conviction 2. step in
3. parole 3. cascading
4. anomaly 4. at gunpoint
5. accomplice 5. concur
6. conspiracy 6. reckless
7. ruling 7. dismayed
8. perpetrator 8. maddening
9. clemency
10. glitch
5 Vocabulary 1: Adjective + noun
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. g
1. T 2. e
2. F 3. b
3. F 4. h
4. F 5. c
5. T 6. d
7. a
8. f
3 Comprehension check

1. b 6 Vocabulary 2: Phrases with prepositions

2. b
3. c 1. between
4. a 2. with
3. at
4. with
5. of
6. with
7. for
8. to

450
Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context

1. a 1. survey
2. a 2. clad
3. b 3. relentless
4. a 4. inappropriate
5. b 5. brainchild
6. b 6. gaze
7. recall
2 How much do you know?
5 Vocabulary 2: Word formation
1. Nelson Mandela
2. The African National Congress, a South African
political party and black nationalist organization
noun adjective
3. Gordon Brown youth 1. youthful
4. In Parliament Square, London flower 2. flowered
5. A government policy of segregation of whites and 3. greatness great
blacks in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 4. hero/heroine heroic
noise 5. noisy
3 Comprehension check power 6. powerful
7. intensity intense
1. T 8. strength strong
2. F
energy 9. energetic
3. T
4. DS
5. DS 6 Vocabulary 3: Compound noun puzzle
6. T
7. T
1. title
8. F
2. distance
3. show
4. cell
5. windscreen
6. race

451
Pavarotti dies aged 71
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Music quiz

artist genre nationality died in aged

(year)
Luciano Pavarotti opera Italian 2007 71
Elvis Presley rock and roll American 1977 42
Bob Marley reggae Jamaican 1981 36
Edith Piaf chanson French 1963 47
John Lennon pop English 1980 40
Johnny Cash country American 2003 71
Ibrahim Ferrer son Cuban 2005 78
Billie Holiday jazz American 1959 44
Frank Sinatra swing American 1998 82
Kurt Cobain grunge American 1994 27

2 What do you know? 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. False (it was in the opera house in Reggio Emilia) long, tough battle
2. True greatest tenor
3. False (Carreras not Caruso) celebrated performance
4. False (it was in 1990) global audience
5. True rain-sodden park
6. True fully-fitted kitchen
7. False (it was in a hotel suite in Edinburgh) distinctive voice
8. True heartfelt applause
unique ability
extraordinary gift
3 Key words

1. diagnose 5 Grammar: Third conditional

2. succumb
3. reputation We use the third conditional to:
4. charity Speculate about past events.
5. helm To express reproach and regret.
6. encounter
7. legacy

452
Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. quandary 1. electrify
2. vault 2. shrouded in mystery
3. furious 3. catch everybody offside
4. stunning 4. bidding
5. gem 5. acknowledge
6. accurate 6. sceptre
7. supposedly 7. spoils of war
8. mere 8. curse
9. legendary
10. forthcoming
5 Vocabulary 2: Reformulation

2 What do you know? 1. undiscovered

2. discovery
1. F 3. supposedly
2. T 4. bidders
3. F 5. accuracy
4. T 6. unidentified
5. T
6. F (the weight is measured in carats)
6. Vocabulary 3: Collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. f
2. h
1. a 3. d
2. c 4. g
3. b 5. b
4. a 6. e
7. c
8. a

453
What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 3 Comprehension check

1. c 1. a
2. e 2. b
3. k 3. b
4. a 4. b
5. h
6. d
4 Vocabulary: Lexical fields
7. j
8. g Possible answers:
9. b
10. l weight and health issues – deep fat frying / calorie /
11. f obesity / overweight / health promotion / huge helpings
12. m / salt content / disease prevention / nutritional content /
13. i healthier options / high-fat foods / burn ( calories) / diet

2 Organizations and official bodies legal terms – court case / court action / rule / civic
responsibility / judge / ordinance / law / regulation /
New York’s Board of Health signatories / pledge
New York State Restaurant Association
The Council of Better Business Bureaus
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
(at Yale University)

454
The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Pre-reading 1 4 Vocabulary development

1. F (They were in Portugal) 1. people-carrier

2. F (They have two-year-old twins) 2. emerged
3. T 3. cuddly
4. F (Not their own car; a car they hired a month later) 4. clattered
5. F (They think he was an accomplice) 5. resolutely
6. T 6. gathered
7. trace
8. pursued
2 Pre-reading 2: Key words
9. ushered
10. slumped
1. accomplice 11. plea
2. presumed 12. chair
3. bail conditions
4. strain
5. shattered 
6. allege
7. tributes
8. toddlers

3 Comprehension check

1. Because now they are now suspected of

her murder.
2. They kept out of the way when they came
home; they left lots of flowers for them, and
there is a campaign to find Madeleine.
3. By staying behind the hedge.
4. In Portugal: by chasing after their car; by
going on the same flight home; and in England,
by hovering overhead in a helicopter.
5. Yes; they are both doctors.

455
Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. self-indulgence 1. blur the boundaries

2. prominence 2. break the mould/moulds
3. hoax 3. fiscal
4. fanbase 4. retailer
5. struggling 5. sound a note of caution
6. uproar 6. lead time
7. bypass 7. diehard
8. piracy 8. obsessive
9. priceless
10. eagerly
5 Vocabulary 2: Colloquial language

2 What do you know? 1. d

2. e
1. F 3. f
2. T 4. g
3. F 5. h
4. T 6. b
5. T 7. a
6. F 8. c

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

1. b
2. c 1. f
3. c 2. h
4. b 3. d
4. e
5. a
6. b
7. c
8. g

456
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Pre-reading 2 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

}:-( Your toupee is blowing in the wind abrupt remark
;-) I’m only joking! Internet lexicon
8-) I’m wearing glasses fully-formed sentence
0:-) The writer just made a sweet or plaintive call
innocent remark bountiful guidance
:-)(-: I’m married desperate effort
:-\ I’m undecided subtle meaning
inadequate substitute
1. c one-way conversation
2. d unintentionally mislead
3. e
4. b
5. a

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. a

457
Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Warmer: Gold 4 Vocabulary: Multi-word collocations

Possible answers: 1. illegal gold miner

jewellery 2. raise serious concerns
clocks and watches 3. sparked a gold rush
glasses 4. bought up concessions
paint 5. green plastic bowls
gold-leaf 6. huge black market
art 7. ease poverty and unemployment
teeth (fillings)
medicines 8. new security measures
coins 9. live in constant fear
buttons 10. Russian concession holders
pen nibs 11. most democratic nation
12. human rights abuses
13. strike it extremely rich
2 Key words
14. controlled by criminal bosses

1. prospector / miner
2. nugget / fragment
3. detained / imprisoned
4. indiscriminately / inequality
5. seized / dragged
6. panning / scavenge
7. rights / abuse

3 Comprehension check

1. b
2. c
3. b
4. b

458
Extreme education
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. mentor 1. evolving
2. peer 2. pull one’s weight
3. sponsor 3. creaming
4. accountability 4. ensemble
5. zero tolerance 5. gather pace
6. discrepancy 6. stark divide
7. needy 7. dire
8. disadvantaged 8. adamant
9. vehemently
10. scrutinize
5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

2 What do you know? 1. e

2. d
1. T 3. f
2. F 4. b
3. F 5. c
4. T 6. a
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Verb and noun
collocations
3 Comprehension check
1. set
1. b 2. establish
2. b 3. look
3. c 4. attend
4. a 5. gather
6. pull
7. take
8. sign

459
British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 What are they called now? 3 Comprehension check

Abyssinia Ethiopia 1 c
Benadir Somalia 2 a
French Sudan Mali 3 b
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4 c
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5 b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6 c
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7 a

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns

1. collapse oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

2. conspiracy
Zimbabwe maintenance economy economic
3. whim
4. independence delusion governor conspiracy reputation
5. delusion proportion plummeted Zimbabwean discontinued
6. hyperinflation government reality independence
7. bureaucracy nationalist bureaucracy confiscation
8. regime Johannesburg agriculture
9. plummet
10. confiscate

460
Google reveals mobile plans
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. protracted 1. harvest
2. vaunted 2. browse
3. incompatible 3. in a similar vein
4. trial 4. money-spinner
5. lobby 5. in excess of
6. launch 6. span
7. outpaces 7. sidestep
8. foothold 8. head-to-head
9. intrigue
10. slot/slot
5 Vocabulary 2: Collocations

2 What do you know? 1. f

2. c
1. T 3. b
2. F 4. g
3. T 5. d
4. F 6. h
5. F 7. a
6. F 8. e

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Nouns followed

by prepositions
1. c
2. b 1. to
3. a 2. with
4. b 3. between
4. over
5. of
6. to
7. of
8. to

461
Bye bye Belgium?
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. humiliated 1. catastrophe
2. steadfast 2. resigned
3. amicable 3. out of touch
4. fragile 4. stand on your own two feet
5. inevitable 5. does not bode well
6. pact 6. countenance
7. courtesy 7. on the brink
8. demise 8. turning-point
9. arrogance
10. apocalypse
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. d

2. f
1. F 3. e
2. F 4. b
3. T 5. a
4. T 6. c
5. F
6. F
6 Vocabulary 3: Expressions

3 Comprehension check 1. f
2. a
1. a 3. d
2. c 4. c
3. a 5. b
4. b 6. e

462
Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Warmer 3 Comprehension check

A palaeontologist is a scientist who studies 1. a

palaeontology, learning about the forms of life that 2. c
existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by studying 3. b
fossils. 4. a
5. c
Well-known palaeontologists include: Mary Anning, 6. b
Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, Ross in the TV
series Friends, and Cary Grant in the film Bringing
up Baby. 4 Vocabulary: Multiword expressions

www.zoomdinosaurs.com/subjects/dinosaurs/
glossary/Paleontologists.shtml 1. rummaging around = searching in a haphazard or
undirected way

2. to come across something = to discover something

2 Key words: Pronunciation and meaning by chance

3. to barely attract a second look = people don’t

correspondent ooOo usually look more than once

dinosaur Ooo 4. only scratching the surface = don’t know or

enthusiast oOoo understand much – not looking into something
deeply
fossil Oo
sauropods Ooo 5. to dwarf something or somebody = to tower over
somebody / to be very much taller
programmer Ooo
association oooOo 6. it’s bound to be the case = it is very likely so
palaeontologists oooOoo
eminent Ooo
vertebra Ooo
carnivorous oOoo
herbivorous oOoo
specimens Ooo

You can listen to the words being spoken on online

dictionaries such as www.m-w.com/dictionary

463
Iceberg survivors
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. lists 1. onset
2. ordeal 2. ornithologist
3. hypothermia 3. shipwreck
4. gutted 4. due to
5. relieved 5. propose
6. stricken 6. to make it
7. endure 7. footage
8. drifts 8. thrilled
9. evacuated
10. mainland
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. e

2. h
1. F 3. a
2. T 4. f
3. F 5. d
4. F 6. b
5. F 7. c
6. F 8. g

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Phrasal verbs

1. c 1. take on
2. a 2. broke up
3. b 3. rushes in
4. c 4. sets in
5. step off
6. rush out

464
The future of design?
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 New ideas 3 Comprehension check

a) vague clock
b) solar-powered glowing garden furniture 1) c
c) transparent sticky memos 2) b
d) robotic web camera 3) a
e) magnetic bathroom mirrors 4) b
f) wastepaper bin cable tidier 5) c

2 Keywords: Synonyms
4 Vocabulary: Collocations
1) granted
2) dreary grant a wish
3) principle float ideas
4) unique post a comment / an image / an idea
5) mass-produced make a deal
6) scheme found a company
7) flop suggest improvements
8) royalties develop a product
9) vague receive votes
10) glimpse

465
‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. attached 1. take pride of place

2. compelling 2. prized possession
3. saggy 3. catapult
4. unwitting 4. sinister
5. auction 5. fulminate
6. reservations 6. bid
7. mannequin 7. shabby
8. abound 8. artefact
9. snip 9. confide
10. curator 10. knick-knacks

2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed

by prepositions
1. d
2. f 1. against
3. b 2. of
4. a 3. with
5. c 4. to
6. e 5. to
6. in
7. with
3 Comprehension check
8. of

1. b
2. a 6 Vocabulary 3: Adverbial expressions
3. c
4. b
1. e
2. c
3. a
4. f
5. b
6. d

466
Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

3 Comprehension check

1. Radiohead found that...

c) ... just over a third of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.

2. Compared to other countries...

b) ... less Americans downloaded the album for free.

3. The music industry has seen a decline in the profits made on sales of...

a) ... concert tickets.

4. According to the figures given for illegal downloads, Radiohead’s experiment...

a) ... has been a success.

Links:

• http://www.inrainbows.com/
• http://www.apple.com/itunes/

467
Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers taunt guards
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. unscathed 1. intimate
2. homage 2. leap
3. admonish 3. rubble
4. tip-off 4. contradiction
5. feud 5. put someone off the scent
6. scale 6. dummy
7. inmate 7. head
8. audacious 8. nip in the bud
9. adjoining
10. wriggle
5 Vocabulary 2: Phrasal verbs

2 Order of events 1. break out

2. pad out
1. c 3. crush up
2. f 4. rub in
3. b 5. turn off
4. e 6. pull off
5. a
6. d
6 Vocabulary 3: Verb + Noun Collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. d
2. f
1. b 3. a
2. b 4. c
3. c 5. b
4. c 6. e

468
India gears up for mass motoring revolution
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. stringent 1. unveil
2. affluent 2. bring about
3. miniscule 3. affordable
4. decade 4. conceive
5. clogged 5. wreathed in
6. launch 6. congestion
7. subsidized 7. spew
8. welding 8. evict
9. hub
10. latent
5 Vocabulary 2: Chunks

2 What do you know? 1. made from high-quality materials

2. the fastest growing car market
1. F 3. a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport
2. T 4. less than half the price of the next cheapest car
3. T 5. in the early 20th century
4. T 6. worrying implications for the environment
5. F 7. five to ten years behind Europe
6. F 8. less than nine miles an hour

3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

1. b 1. f
2. c 2. c
3. a 3. h
4. b 4. e
5. d
6. b
7. a
8. g

469
Clinton and Obama prepare to face off
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 3 Vocabulary 1: Lexical fields

1. embark (possible answers)

2. race issue
nominating; race issue; candidates; debate; camp;
3. tie
campaign; campaigning; voters; senator; Democrats;
4. (political) camp
democratic; supporters; civil rights; vice presidential
5. tinged
running mate...
6. wary
7. alienate
8. controversial
9. prominent 4 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + noun
10. poll collocations

• Community organizer
2 What do you know? • Dangerous strategy
• Common cause
1. 5: Nevada; New Hampshire; South Carolina; • Bitter exchanges
Iowa; North Carolina; (New York is a city, • Personal destruction
Washington Post is a newspaper) • National poll
2. 3: Clinton, Obama and Edwards • Race row
3. The Obama team accused Clinton of being • Campaign official
“engaged in the politics of personal destruction”.
4. The Clinton team accused Obama of distorting the
remarks.
5. Clinton.

D
TE DE
SI A
EB LO

470
Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. decline 1. consume
2. pastime 2. reluctant
3. revival 3. fuel concerns
4. bug 4. annually
5. sedentary 5. woven into
6. ubiquitous 6. conceive
7. anecdotal 7. sidestep
8. flip 8. mounting
9. flickers
10. flick
5 Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you think? 1. e

2. h
1. T 3. a
2. F 4. c
3. F 5. f
4. T 6. d
5. T 7. b
6. F 8. g

3 Comprehension check 4 Expressions with prepositions

1. a 1. of
2. b 2. on
3. c 3. of
4. a 4. on
5. to
6. in
7. about
8. by

471
A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 3 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. pursue (verb) spark an international incident

2. ram (verb) ram a ship
3. harpoon (verb) open a stopcock
4. clash (verb) set a trap
5. carcass (noun) chuck acid
6. vessel (noun) fight a battle
7. fleet (noun) harpoon whales
8. tactics (noun) deliver a letter
9. nautical (adjective) use tactics
10. uncompromising (adjective) destroy life

2 Skim-reading
1. Seven (five belong to Japan, one belongs to Green
peace, and one to Sea Shepherd)
2. Paul Watson
3. Greenpeace
4. A battle ensued resulting in one death and a fire
5. They were held hostage when they boarded the
Yusshin Maru No. 2
6. The tactics they use are different

472
Fly to Australia in under five hours
Level 3 Advanced

KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

1. vast 1. artist’s impression

2. hitch 2. come up with
3. reusable 3. push forward
4. impact 4. by today’s standards
5. hypersonic 5. carbon footprint
6. conventional 6. give off
7. demand 7. porthole
8. funding 8. in/at the exploratory stage(s)
9. claustrophobia
10. spin-off
5 Vocabulary 2: Noun + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. f

2. g
1. F 3. e
2. T 4. b
3. T 5. c
4. T 6. h
5. F 7. a
6. F 8. d

3 Comprehension check 6 Grammar: Adverbs

1. b 1. environmentally
2. b 2. closely
3. a 3. technically / commercially
4. c 4. conventionally
5. excitedly
6. potentially

473
Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words: Synonyms 4 Comprehension check

1. declare 1. b
2. squad 2. b
3. match 3. a
4. stroll 4. c
5. create
6. mentality
5 Discussion: Football small talk
7. fashion
8. appropriate
9. native tongue 1. What did you think of the game yesterday?
10. objective 2. What was the result of the match this afternoon?
11. pitch 3. Do you reckon England can qualify for the next
12. reflects World Cup?
13. principal 4. What are England’s chances of beating Germany in
14. result the match this evening?
5. Do you think Capello is likely to pick Beckham to
play for England again?
3 Skim-reading 6. Who do you support?
7. What do you think of the new manager?
1. Italian 8. Who would you choose as captain of the
2. Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid England squad?
3. Because the journalists often twist words, and he
was worried that they would misquote him.
4. English
5. Adherence to rules, respect, a winning mentality
and a different way of moving on the pitch.
6. Not qualifying for Euro 2008.

474
Shark species face extinction
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key adjectives 4 Find the word

1. within the next few decades

1. vulnerable 2. depleted
2. predatory 3. highly prized
3. excessive 4. fetch
4. extinct 5. delicacy
5. resilient 6. decimate
6. wide-ranging 7. concerned
7. endangered 8. evenly dispersed
8. unrestricted
9. revised
10. devastating
5 Expressions with prepositions

1. on
2 What do you know? 2. to
3. to
1. T 4. for
2. T 5. on
3. F 6. on
4. F 7. to
5. F 8. with
6. F
4 Adjective + noun collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. e
2. c
1. c 3. f
2. a 4. a
3. b 5. d
4. b 6. b

475
The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Team quiz: And the award for best actor 3 Skimming for information
goes to...
a) Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for There will be Blood
Bing Crosby, Going My Way, 1944 b) Best actress: Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, 1948 c) Best film: No Country for Old men (Coen Brothers)
Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen, 1951 d) Best supporting actress: Tilda Swinton for Michael
Marlon Brando, The Godfather, 1972 Clayton
Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975 e) Best supporting actor: Javier Bardem for No Country
Ben Kingsley, Ghandi, 1982 for Old men
Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot, 1989 f) Best director: Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful, 1998 for Old men
Russell Crowe, Gladiator, 2000
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland, 2006

Marlon Brando refused the award. 4 Comprehension check

Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor again
this year. 1. b
2. c
3. a
2 Key words 4. a

1. menacing
2. driven
3. prospector
4. noteworthy
5. stoked
6. resolution
7. sentiment
8. montage
9. contender
10. hyperbole

476
The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. sack and fire mildly entertaining footage

2. bulletin flamboyantly authoritarian ruler
3. lap mild liberal reforms
4. bloopers worthy operatic theatre
5. debacle multibillion pound tourist resort
6. revamp state medical institute
7. run-in
8. embark
9. drop in
10. decapitation

2 Comprehension check
1. b) Oil
2. c) Both of the above.
3. a) can now been performed in Turkmenistan.
4. c) the ministerial advisory committee had finished work
for the day.
5. b) bring about an end to Turkmenistan’s isolation from
the rest of the world.
6. c) is on the Caspian sea.

477
After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. mandate 1. revered
2. ovation 2. irreplaceable
3. convalescing 3. outlast
4. implicit 4. withdrawal
5. hardliner 5. caretaker government
6. rhetoric 6. hanker for
7. omnipotent 7. limelight
8. fatigues 8. apply the brakes
9. unanimous
10. shun
5 Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. e

2. a/d/h
1. T 3. a/d/h
2. F 4. g
3. F 5. b
4. T 6. a/d/h
5. F 7. f
6. F 8. c

3 Comprehension check 4 Adjective + noun collocations

1. b 1. economic
2. c 2. ideological
3. b 3. particular
4. a 4. tight
5. political
6. human
7. implicit
8. public

478
Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Colloquial expressions

1. goodies 1. d
2. sustainable 2. f
3. chutney 3. e
4. competitive 4. a
5. mere 5. b
6. onlooker 6. c
7. blurb
8. venture
5 Find the word
9. modest
10. cynic
1. heir to the throne
2. posh
2 What do you know? 3. stick to
4. coachloads
1. T 5. rub shoulders with
2. F 6. champion
3. T 7. to be fair
4. F 8. plough back
5. F
6. T
6 Expressions with prepositions

3 Comprehension check 1. over

2. with
1. b 3. of
2. c 4. to
3. c 5. of
4. a 6. into
7. on
8. with

479
Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words and phrases 4 Vocabulary: Negative emotions

1. withdrawal symptoms a) fatigue

2. public health issue depression
3. clinical disorder isolation
4. negative repercussions tension
5. case study
6. significant other b) possible answers: anger, rage, lying, loss of
7. wean off sense of time, neglect of basic drives, arguments, not
8. a fix caring
9. discussion boards
10. self-help group

3 Comprehension check
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. b

480
Smashing Pumpkins sue record label
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. collapse 1. uneasy
2. front 2. accumulate
3. piracy 3. entity
4. lawsuit 4. turbulent
5. label 5. reunite
6. stall 6. secure
7. sue 7. track record
8. dispute 8. turn around
9. back catalogue
10. expansion
5 Business terms

2 What do you know? 1. c

2. f
1. T 3. e
2. F 4. b
3. F 5. a
4. T 6. d
5. T
6. F
6 Verb + noun collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. e
2. c
1. a 3. b
2. b 4. f
3. b 5. a
4. c 6. d

481
Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary development: Synonyms

1. meltdown 1. disrupted
2. intimidating 2. carousels
3. calamity 3. triggering
4. proliferated 4. swamped
5. backlog 5. exacerbated
6. farcical 6. crammed
7. fume 7. packed up
8. surly 8. glitches

3 General understanding 5 Language development: -ing forms

1. h Adjective Gerund Continuous Participle

2. d opening (2) planning (1) visiting (11) triggering (6)
3. e intimidating (4) descending (2) saying (11) promising (7)
4. b depressing (5) carrying (5) resulting (9)
overwhelming (6) handling (6) travelling (11)
5. f teething (10) waiting (11) arriving (13)
6. c
7. g
8. a

482
The week the crisis hit home
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words and phrases

1. mortgage
2. to pull a deal
3. negative equity
4. recession
5. consumer
6. loan
7. overdraft
8. interest rate
9. gross domestic product (GDP)
10. inflation

3 Comprehension check
1. a
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. a

483
Celebrity scandal and Anne Frank
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

4 Vocabulary development 1: Word search 6 Collocations A

1. leap 1. j
2. contrary 2. f
3. loathed 3. h
4. ranking 4. c
5. diversity 5. b
6. skinny 6. a
7. phenomenon 7. i
8. improper 8. e
9. pejorative 9. d
10. shift 10. g

5 General understanding 7 Collocations B

1. True a. focus groups

2. False; books don’t appear until number four. b. current affairs
3. True c. fundamental problems
4. True d. fan fiction
5. True e. gender divide
6. False; he’s glad that they read widely, including f. song lyrics
BBC online g. joint second
7. False; see paragraph 12 h. reading material
8. True i. different approach

484
John Prescott admits bulimia
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. stigma 1. battle
2. memoirs 2. serialize
3. forthcoming 3. take refuge in
4. high-profile 4. stuff one’s face
5. confess 5. twerp
6. disorder 6. shop
7. consultant 7. knackered
8. overwhelming 8. at full pelt
9. revelation
10. gorge
5 Nouns and adjectives

2 What do you know? 1. courageous

2. bravery
1. T 3. embarrassment
2. F 4. stressful
3. F 5. anorexic
4. F 6. awareness
5. T
6. T
6 Phrasal verbs

3 Comprehension check 1. c
2. g
1. c 3. h
2. b 4. e
3. a 5. a
4. c 6. d
7. f
8. b

485
The demand for natural cures soars
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words and phrases 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

a) pill: a small piece of solid medicine that you swallow prescription-only drugs
with water high-octane lifestyle
potion: a drink that may be useful as medicine over-the-counter medicine
ointment: a thick, smooth substance that you put on legitimate alternative
sore or injured skin placebo effect
scientific evidence
b) 1. mainstream biologically plausible
2. self-medication
3. legislation
4. placebo
6 Webquest
5. incessant
6. plausible
a) to ease a headache or migraine = chamomile
(Chamaemelum nobile or Matricaria recutita)
b) to boost your immune system = purple coneflower
3 Comprehension check (Echinacea purpurea)
c) as a sedative = hops (Humulus lupus) and
1. b maybe chamomile
2. a d) when you have a cold or a fever = yarrow
3. b (Achillea millefolium)
4. c
5. a

486
Medvedev sworn in as Russian president
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. unfurl 1. tumultuous
2. wield 2. pay tribute to
3. amend 3. diminutive
4. mediate 4. blustery
5. stroll 5. stand-off
6. bundle 6. rampant
7. hint 7. clan
8. hamper 8. status quo
9. boom
10. tackle
5 Phrasal verbs

2 What do you know? 1. e

2. d
1. T 3. a
2. F 4. f
3. T 5. b
4. F 6. c
5. F
6. T
6 Collocations

3 Comprehension check 1. establish

2. negotiate
1. c 3. deliver
2. c 4. bring down
3. b 5. hamper
4. a 6. pay
7. amend
8. wield

487
Mortgage crisis sees suburbs slump
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Lexical groups

1. mortgage Possible answers:

2. foreclosure • mortgage
3. peril • banks
4. suburbanite • foreclose
5. imposing • prices
6. demographic • prosperous
7. unkempt • rent
8. ominous • buyer
9. vibrant • costs
10. doomed • afford
11. pendulum
12. custom-made

3 Comprehension check
Possible answers:
1. She was attracted by suburban life; a new home in a
new location, with award-winning schools. Elk Grove
had the reputation of being a friendly, family-oriented
community.
2. Graffiti in the park.
3. 400. Mow lawns, communicate via Internet message
board, report problems to the police.
4. Transport now accounts for 19% of household costs,
compared to 3% a hundred years ago.
5. Increase in fuel prices plus people having children later
and not needing such large houses.

488
Mice eating rare seabirds alive
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. vulnerable 1. outcrop
2. remote 2. make landfall
3. unmolested 3. stow away
4. extinct 4. jump ship
5. rodent 5. feasibility study
6. evolves 6. gnaw
7. ornithologist 7. stumble on
8. eradicate 8. implausible
9. predator
10. endangered
5 Chunks

2 What do you know? 1. ordinary domestic house mice

2. several of the world’s rarest bird species
1. F 3. a government-funded feasibility study
2. T 4. the world’s most critically endangered species
3. F 5. a global alliance of conservation groups
4. T 6. the most important seabird colony in the world
5. T
6. T
6 Word formation

3 Comprehension check 1. catastrophic

2. proposal
1. c 3. maintenance
2. b 4. extinction
3. b 5. evolution
4. c 6. defenceless

489
Families struggling as bills begin to bite
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. offshore • walking distance

2. tend • eagerly awaited
3. vary • classic example
4. echoes • hardly anything
5. overdrawn • pretty much
6. compromise • family budget
7. battery • precise circumstances
8. free range • dramatically soared
9. own-brand • familiar calculations
10. reservations • expensive luxury
11. notoriously
12. initiate
13. policy
14. bin
15. topsy-turvy

3 Comprehension check
1 b
2 c
3 d
4 c
5 a, b, c & d (all answers are the same)

490
The man who will free-fall to Earth
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Key words 4 Find the word

1. foolhardy 1. out of this world

2. weightlessness 2. capsule
3. gondola 3. should
4. exceed 4. plead
5. gaze 5. window of opportunity
6. plunge 6. decompression sickness
7. abort 7. be in correspondence with
8. embolism 8. hot on the heels of
9. foiled
10. harnessed
5 Verb + noun collocations

2 What do you know? 1. f

2. e
1. T 3. a
2. F 4. h
3. F 5. c
4. F 6. g
5. T 7. b
6. T 8. d

3 Comprehension check 6 Phrasal verbs

1. a 1. d
2. b 2. e
3. a 3. a
4. c 4. b
5. f
6. c

491
Is this the end of budget travel?
Level 3 Advanced

KEY

1 Warmer: Airlines 3 Comprehension check

a) budget airlines: Ryanair, easyJet 1. b

b) national carriers: British Airways (BA), Qantas, 2. d
Air France – KLM 3. b
c) other: Virgin Atlantic, Silverjet 4. c
5. d

2 Key words
4 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. budget
2. bankrupt weekend breaks
3. oil squeeze continental Europe
4. go bust dominant carriers
5. break even hotel bookings
6. on the horizon airline alliances
7. staple membership rules
8. fuel hedging fuel surcharges
9. turbulence 9/11 attacks
10. trading down
11. administration
12. cover costs

492