» To complete the task, you need to match four people's opinions (Person A-D) to seven questions. Four people respond in the comments section of an online magazine article about a recent trip to the zoo. Read their comments and answer the questions (1-7). We have just returned from an exhausting day out at the local 200. | can honestly say that we were amazed by the variety of species we observed - especially as most reviews I'd read had criticised it for the contrary. We were even lucky enough to get a clear view of the mountain lion cubs. The keeper explained it was a rare sight, as the felines hardly ever step out of their cave in daylight. The animals seemed well-fed and looked after, and their areas were spotless. Even the restaurant wasn't as much of a rip-off as people had said. On the whole, we left with fond memories all around. To my great surprise, our day trip to the zoo was everything but the quiet day out | was expecting, Not only were there keepers interacting with visitors, but we were also given top-notch audio equipment to hear about the lives of the species in the wild. Due to the impressive size of the site, we decided to rent electric bikes to cover the huge distances between the different enclosures. The layout was quite straightforward to figure out - which was a relief as my sense of direction isn’t up to much. The animals are housed properly and living in decent conditions. This is what made the experience worthwhile, as seeing miserable animals can really put visitors off. Remember to read the questions first and think of different ways of expressing the same idea. Then, read Person A and scan the sentences again to choose any that match up, then follow the same strategy for B, C and D. 16 Copyright© 2021 Future House Languages@ | decided to take my boyfriend out for the day to cheer him up after a tough week. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to observe the animals quietly, as armies of youngsters were blocking the views to take the perfect ‘selfie’. At one point | even saw kids trying to climb over a fence! This must happen elsewhere, but it was shocking that the keepers were nowhere to be found - likely skiving off. We also saw many people tossing food at the animals, which ticked me off as it may harm animals with special dietary requirements. We were both glum by the time we stopped for lunch and poor James looked worse off than before. | support zoos that aim to provide animals in captivity with reasonable living conditions while enabling people to see them in real life. Unfortunately, | was left with a bitter taste in my mouth after our last trip. The grounds were fairly well-kept and secure for both visitors and animals, but there were serious inequalities in enclosure sizes, One of the most striking had to be the elephants. They were squeezed into a small space with neither trees nor mud pools. Concerns aside, the overall visit was pleasant as there was an interesting variety of species to see for an affordable price. We were also able to purchase our tickets online, which cut down the waiting time. 1. Who thinks that it was easy to get around the zoo? 2. Who thinks that poor conditions can cause visitors to lose interest? 3. Who thinks the enclosures were particularly clean? 4. Who thinks some animals have it better than others? 5. Who thinks fortune favoured them on their visit? 6. Who thinks the actions of visitors can be detrimental? 7. Who thinks their good intentions failed? )) There could be 1, 2 or 3 questions matched to a single text, but there's always at least ~ one for each text. Copyright® 2021 Future House Languages>» R2: MATCHING HEADING rep Keni 5 To complete the task, you need to match seven headings to the correct paragraphs in DD the text. choose from the list (A!) and match it to a paragraph (1-7). There is an extra heading and an example given (A). HEDGEHOGS 0. The word hedgehog is derived from Middle English and came into use around the year 1450. The name “hedge” was given to the spiny mammal because it hangs around hedgerows, and "hog" because of its porcine snout. Hedgehogs belong to the Erinaceidae family. There are seventeen native species divided into five genera found throughout Europe, Asia as well as Africa. There are non-native species to New Zealand, Australia and the Americas as they were introduced in these territories over time. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews and gymnures, but they have changed very little over the last 15 million years. 1. The most common pet species are hybrids of the white-bellied, four-toed and North African hedgehog. However, itis illegal to own one as a pet in some US states, Canadian municipalities and Italy as they are considered wild animals. They are delicate creatures with extremely specific needs. For instance, it is crucial for the animal’s well-being to respect their nocturnal schedule. Furthermore, hedgehog ‘owners should do a lot of prior research before knowing how to hold them. Petting a happy hedgehog feels like stroking a prickly brush. On the other hand, petting an angry one feels like holding a cactus. G,) Remember to use the strategy explained in the introduction to this reading task. Read the first TWO lines and LAST line only, and match up the more obvious headings before reading specific paragraphs in detail. © Just because a word from a heading is mentioned in a paragraph doesn't necessarily mean that it is the correct match. You need to focus on the best summary of each paragraph - don't be distracted by single words or phrases. Copyright © 2021 Future House Languages at32 2. Hedgehogs are easily distinguishable by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous nor barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, do not easily detach from their bodies. However, the immature animal's spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. This is called *quilling". Spines can also shed when the animal is diseased or under extreme stress. Hedgehogs are usually brown, with pale tips to the spines, though blonde hedgehogs are found on the UK island of Alderney. 3. All species of hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defence, causing the spines to point outwards. The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that control the position of the quills. When the creature is rolled into a ball, the quills on the back protect the tucked face, feet, and belly. Since the effectiveness of this strategy depends on the number of spines, some desert hedgehogs that evolved to carry less weight are more likely to flee or attack, ramming an intruder with the spines. For those species, rolling into a spiny ball is a last resort. Like opossums and moles, hedgehogs have some natural immunity against small quantities of snake venom too. 4, Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, though some species are also active during the day. The various species are prey to different predators. For instance, forest hedgehogs are prey primarily to owls and ferrets, while smaller species like the long- eared hedgehog are prey to foxes, wolves, and mongooses. Hedgehogs sleep for a large portion of the day under bushes, grasses, rocks, or most commonly in dens dug in the ground, with varying habits among the species. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, though not all do, depending on temperature, species, and abundance of food 5. Hedgehogs are fairly vocal and communicate through a combination of grunts, snuffles or squeals. They occasionally perform a strange ritual called “anointing”. When the animal encounters a new scent, it will lick and bite the source, then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its spines with its tongue. Some experts believe anointing camouflages the hedgehog with the new scent of the area and provides a possible poison or source of infection to predators poked by their spines. This curious behaviour can be seen throughout the bird kingdom too. ‘Copyright® 2021 Future House Languages6. Unfortunately, this prickly creature has become a pest in some areas where it has been introduced. It causes immense damage to native species such as insects, snails, lizards and birds due to its feeding habits. As it lacks natural predators in those areas, keeping the population under control can be quite troublesome. Attempts to eliminate hedgehogs were met with international outrage. In 2008, the hedgehog elimination process was changed from killing the animals to trapping them and releasing them elsewhere where they didn’t pose any threat, For instance, this was what happened on an island in Scotland. 7. Hedgehogs are a food source in many cultures. They are traded throughout Eurasia and Africa for traditional medicine and witchcraft. In the Middle East, hedgehog meat is considered medicinal and thought to cure rheumatism and arthritis. They are also said to cure a variety of illnesses and disorders from tuberculosis to impotence. In Morocco, inhaling the smoke of burnt skin or bristles is a purported remedy for fever, male impotence and urinary illnesses. The blood is sold as a cure for ringworm, cracked skin and warts, and the flesh is eaten as a remedy for witchcraft. Romani people still eat hedgehogs, boiled or roasted, and also use the blood and the fat for their supposed medicinal value. A. The roots of the name B. An unusual perfume C. Snoozing habits D. Breeding habits in the wild E. Are they suitable to be kept in captivity? F. Public outcry saves them G. Mythical remedies for myriad ailments H. Their most recognizable feature |. Effective armour against attackers Copyright® 2021 Future House Languages 33> R3: SINGLE TEXT GAP-FILL »* complete the task, you need to complete the text by filling in the gaps. Choose the correct word from option A, B or C. TRANSPARENCY FOR SAFETY What would you do if you could be invisible? Would you use your power for good? For evil? Or just to avoid awkward conversations? Transparency may seem like the simplest form of camouflage, but in the last year, research has revealed new complexities behind what some animals do to (1) into their surroundings. If something is opaque, light is either reflected or absorbed at its surface. For something to be transparent, light must instead travel straight through it. But as light moves between transparent materials, it can be bent and scattered. ‘An animal's body is (2) many organs and tissues, each with a different thickness, structure and chemical makeup. For the animal to be transparent, light must not be reflected, absorbed, scattered or refracted as it travels through each of these different layers. Water-dwelling animals have a clear advantage in terms of achieving transparency as there is much less refraction and scattering of light in water. As a result, some of the most effective examples of transparency are oceanic species like jellyfish and shrimp. On land, transparency is much rarer. In my research, | have experienced first-hand how effective and sophisticated transparency really can be, On a dark night in the (3) rain in the thick of French Guiana’s tropical rainforest during the monsoon, my colleagues and | were scanning for the source of a strange, high-pitched noise. Finally, our headlamps revealed a pair of googly eyes peering down on us, and we knew we had found what we had been searching for: tiny glass frog, The skin of these bizarre frogs lets us look directly at their intestines and bones — even at their beating hearts. Their green colouring is a close match to that foliage and the trick of translucency allows the frog to brighten or darken (4) the leafy vegetation around it. What’s more, the frogs’ legs are more translucent than their bodies, providing an extra advantage from a process called “edge diffusion” further blending frog and leaf together in the eyes of its predators. Some interesting creatures, on the other hand, are not (5), the colours and patterns required to blend into specific backgrounds. Clearwing butterflies, for instance, have fully transparent wings that offer camouflage regardless of their surroundings. Several large moth species have taken a different route by evolving to have transparent panels on their wings that predators can see straight through. These transparent panels mixed with opaque colours transform the moth into an unrecognizable mosaic, Copyright © 2021 Future House Languages2 B a LA} 8 VANISH EY Geis INC CAL Ca |B J NOT FAR FROM ents Eas Ntelg BASED ON Ay |B J SUBJECTED TO BOUND BY Remember that this is not designed to be a grammar test. It's a comprehension test which means you need to choose the answer based on information contained in the sentence or whole paragraph. Unlike Cambridge exams (CAE and CPE), you can't simply rely on looking at the words before and after the gap and make your choice based on collocations, grammar or word choice. You must understand the text in order to choose correctly. Study the words carefully as often all three options could fit grammatically. The information that will guide you to the correct answer will be contained in the same sentence or paragraph. If you don't find clues to lead you to the correct answer in the paragraph in which the question is contained, read the next paragraph. There may be examples given that will help you eliminate options, or a previous point may be referred back to or developed more fully. @ Copyright © 2021 Future House Languages>> R4: MULTIPLE TEXT GAP-FILL PRACTICE 5 > Te complete the task, you need to complete the text by filling in the gaps with the appropriate word or phrase. Choose the correct option from A, Bor C. CU ae Google reported a remarkable breakthrough towards the end of 2019. The company claimed to have achieved something called quantum supremacy, using 2 new type of “quantum” computer to perform a test designed to establish a point of comparison against which other computers can be measured. The test was passed in 200 seconds. This was in stark contrast to the 10,000 years that would supposedly have been needed by (1) to complete the same test. Despite IBM's counterclaim that its most modern computer, with a little optimisation, could solve the task in a matter of days, Google’s (2) made it clear that we are entering a new era of incredible computational power, Yet with much less fanfare, there has also been rapid progress in the development of quantum communication networks, and a master network to unite them all called the quantum internet. Just as the internet as we know it followed the development of computers, we can expect the quantum ‘computer to be also accompanied by the safer, better-synchronised quantum internet. ike quantum computing, quantum communication records information in what are known as qubits, imilar to the way digital systems use bits and bytes. Whereas a bit can only take the value of zero or ‘one, a qubit can also use the principles of quantum physics to take the value of zero and one at the same time. This is what allows quantum computers to perform certain computations very quickly Instead of solving several variants of a problem one by one, the quantum computer can (3) at the same time. @ Mia ata GE) evuuascstea ie) Eres a 6 ee Ey Rss oN Neale) e Ue (EY MeO CROC cl Copyright © 2021 Future House Languagesit has recently been claimed by Google headquarters that they have managed to reach the goal of demonstrating that a programmable quantum device can tackle a problem that no state-of-the-art computer could feasibly solve for millennia. Google, who used a (4) , reported that the problem was figured out in a record time of fewer than four minutes. There is absolutely no comparison between this mean feat and the length of time it would have taken a modern computer to finish the same task. Another huge development has been taking place in the area of quantum communication networks, although they have kept this one rather quiet in comparison. They are calling it ‘quantum internet’ which will (5) ______ with the quantum computer. It really is an exciting time in the world of technological evolution Word from the IBM camp is that their modern supercomputer, after (6) , could resolve the problem in under a week. However, Google has blown them out of the water with their recent statement, to the media and shows that they really are leading the way in the quantum computing field. Instead of using bits and bytes to quantify computer data, this quantum communication system uses qubits, which takes the principles of quantum physics and applies them to computer programming. This means that rather than taking the value of either zero or one, it computes both zero and one simultaneously, thus enabling tasks to be managed in a synchronous manner. 6 ne =) eu Pues 6 DERE 8 Eig Seen C6 BA] sewcrweaxeo JB] eeivc sustacten tees Both texts are on the same topic. The information found in one text compliments or gives more specific details about the information found in the other. Remember that all the options are usually grammatically possible. @ Remember that you need to read both texts to be able to choose the correct answer, as the “8 information you need is likely to be found in the other text. € A good strategy is to ask yourself "What information is missing here?" and then scan the other *8/ text until you find a sentence relating to a similar piece of information. Use this as a clue to guide your answer choice. ® Notice that the incorrect answers often have an opposite or contradictory meaning, Use this “= to help you eliminate incorrect choices if you don't know the meaning of all the words. y Copyright © 2021 Future House Languages 55