Part 1:

Which teenager

1 says they are highly motivated?

2 has started to feel more confident?

3 is planning to open another business?

4 says that managing time can be hard?

5 says they learn from their mistakes?

6 says that their age surprises some people?

7 tends not to tell people how old they are?

8 wanted to improve an experience for customers?

9 says their work involves something they find easy?

10 realised what they wanted to do while helping someone else?

Four teenage business stars

A Rebecca Dundee, 16

I suppose it was obvious I had a head for business when I was about six. I used to make my
parents cups of tea in the morning – and charge them 20p for each one. And it was another 20p
if it needed reheating. And then about a year ago I was in a chain coffee shop waiting in line to
get my drink, and I just realised how dreadful the whole experience was – dirty tables, rubbish
Wifi and grumpy staff. And I thought ‘I bet I could do better than that’. So a friend and I
launched an app enabling people to access menus, order and interact with each other. Since
then I haven’t looked back. I was concerned that I wasn’t doing too well at school, which was a
bit depressing, but with the business going so well, it feels great to be where I am now.

B Jimbo, 15

When people ask what I do, I tell them I advise people about their brand on social media. They
can’t believe I’m doing this while I’m so young. But I love it. The tricky bit is getting everything
done that I need to; sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day! I’ve been doing the job
about six months, and it took quite a lot of effort at the start to persuade my mum and dad that
it wasn’t just a waste of time. But now they’re confident I’m doing OK. Which is just as well,
because now that I’ve launched an online magazine, I should have several more projects on the
way, as long as I can get the money together. One’s going to be setting up a firm with my best
mate – it should start to do quite well after about a year. So watch this space!
C Sarah McFinny, 18

Using social media comes naturally to me, and it’s not something I’ve ever had to try to get my
head around. I’m in my first year at uni, and I was lending a hand to someone who wanted to
organise a social media campaign for a university sports club. I did lots of work for her, setting it
up and publicising it, and she couldn’t believe the results I got. It was amazing! So I thought,
‘You know what – I could make some money out of doing this sort of thing’. When I’m talking to
clients, obviously I don’t shout about my age, I mean you want to be taken seriously. When I
graduate, I want to help my parents run their business, or at least do that part-time. I’m excited
about the future.

D Duncan Jackson, 15

Well, I’ve never liked spending money, even at a really young age. But now that I’ve worked out
how to make money, I’m really driven to get out of bed every morning and make as much as I
can. I basically run an online shop, and I’ve had over 100 customers so far. It’s always nice when
a customer visits the store and buys from you again – you know you’re doing something right. I
don’t always get things right though. In fact, there are lots of things I’ve got very wrong, like
setting my prices too high – or too low! But that can be useful, because when something
doesn’t go as planned, you can always adapt and hope you do it better next time.

Part 2:

Which person

1 mentions how good it is being able to make your own decisions?

2 enjoys seeing employees make a success of things?

3 had to solve a technical problem before launching the business?

4 is surprised to have attracted such a wide variety of clients?

5 is happy to have received positive feedback from clients?

6 sometimes feels anxious about financial aspects of the business?

7 took time to decide what type of business to start?

8 was able to draw on experience gained in a similar working situation?

9 was keen to make use of a wide range of existing skills?

10 was keen to work on a more personal level with clients?

We talked to four people who gave up working for somebody else and started their own
business

A Beautician

I had to rethink my future when the multi-national company I worked for as a marketing
executive decided to move my job to the USA. My life back then, wearing designer clothes and
taking regular long-haul flights, couldn’t be more different from today. Well, I wanted a job
where I’d have the chance to interact with people more, and saw a gap in the market for a
beauty salon locally. Working for yourself is great as you can make your own mind up about
things and you aren’t driven by someone else about when and how you do that. But the flipside
is that there’s nobody to share the burden with when you wake up in the middle of the night
worrying about how you’re going to pay the rent. But I have no regrets.

B Gym owner

After seventeen years working in banking, I wanted to try something totally different. A business
that used a combination of my financial, sporting and parenting experience, but which didn’t
involve such long exhausting hours at the office appealed to me a great deal. I came across the
concept behind The Little Gym by accident when I was surfing the Internet. It’s a novel concept
that had gone down really well in the USA. It caters for children from four months to twelve
years, giving them good-quality physical instruction and a cerebral work-out at the same time.
Having control of my own life is a definite high, as is seeing my staff doing a good job. Every day
is different, so it’s never boring.

C Caterer

I worked for a big international company, but was no longer finding it rewarding. I’d completed
twenty years’ service, so I had some money saved up, but not enough to retire on. But I took six
months off and we went to stay with my wife’s family in Spain. It was a good opportunity to
ponder the question: ‘What next?’ That’s when we got the idea for Tapas in a Box. We were in a
bar eating the local Spanish food called ‘tapas’ and I thought: ‘This would be perfect for people
back home who want to have a great, relaxed time with friends, without spending ages
cooking.’ The challenge was then to work out how to deliver the mix of foods all at once,
because tapas includes things like raw almonds and chilled cheeses as well as the hot things
that need heating in an oven. Once we’d cracked that, we were up and running. I can’t stress
too much the thrill you feel when a customer tells you they’ve had a great time. The sense of
having gone from a new idea to actually delivering something good is very motivating.

D Virtual PA
I’d been a secretary and personal assistant (PA) for twenty years and had begun to dread the
thought that I’d be at the same desk until I retired. When the company announced that its
European office was to close, I could’ve taken a drop in salary and found another job locally, but
decided to set up my own business instead. I got my idea because, in effect, I’d been a virtual PA
all along. My boss was usually only in the office a couple of days a month, so we’d always
worked remotely by email and phone calls. I thought I could offer a similar service to other busy
people. Now I’ve got all sorts of regular clients, including surveyors, solicitors, an advertising
agency and even an author. I never expected such a mix. I can’t wait to see what challenges lie
in store for me.

Part 3:

In which section does the writer mention

1 how a child’s background can affect behaviour?

2 that the results of Mischel’s long-term research were surprising?

3 reasons for questioning the results of the original experiment?

4 claims that training young children to resist temptation will have long-term benefits?

5 the proportion of very young children who were able to resist temptation?

6 an everyday example of the need for self-control?

7 that Mischel may have oversimplified the route to success in life?

8 that Mischel’s own life experience has influenced his work?

9 strategies employed by participants during the test procedure?

10 two major factors which affect everyone’s ability to resist temptation?

The Marshmallow Test

A psychology experiment carried out with a group of pre-school children in California in 1968
led to the development of ideas that are still relevant today.

In 1968, Walter Mischel set a challenge for a group of children aged three to five at the nursery
school his daughters attended in California. A researcher offered each of them a marshmallow
and then left them alone in the room. If they could resist eating the colourful sweet until the
researcher returned up to 15 minutes later, they would be given a second sweet. Some children
ate the marshmallow straight away, but most would engage in unintentionally comic attempts
to resist temptation. They looked all around the room to avoid seeing the sweet, covered their
eyes, wiggled around in their seats or sang to themselves. They pulled funny faces, played with
their hair, picked up the marshmallow and just pretended to take a bite. They sniffed it, pushed
it away from them or covered it up. If two children were doing the experiment together, they
engaged in a conversation about how they could work together to reach the goal of doubling
their pleasure. About a third of the children, the researchers reported, managed to wait long
enough to get the second treat.

What Mischel, a clinical psychologist, wanted was to understand how children learned to deal
with temptation. Over the following years, the group of children remained friends. When
Mischel chatted to his daughters about their former classmates, he began to notice an
interesting pattern: the children who had exhibited the most restraint in the ‘marshmallow test’
were doing better in life than their peers. He decided to investigate further. For more than 40
years, Mischel followed the lives of the nursery students. His findings were extraordinary. It
turns out that being able to resist a treat at the age of five is a strong predictor of success in life:
you are more likely to perform well at school and develop self-confidence and less likely to
become obese, develop addictions or get divorced.

Mischel still teaches psychology at Columbia University and has just written The Marshmallow
Test, a book summing up half a century of research. When Mischel was young, his family was
forced to move from a comfortable life in Austria to the US. They settled in Brooklyn, where
they opened a bargain shopping store. Business was never good and Mischel believes that
moving from ‘upper middle class to extreme poverty’ shaped his outlook. He is concerned with
trying to reduce the impact of deprivation on an individual’s life chances. The conclusion he
draws from his marshmallow research is positive: some people may be naturally disciplined but
the ability to resist temptation is a skill that can also be taught. Teach children self-control early
and you can improve their prospects.

However, no single characteristic – such as self-control – can explain success or failure. Some
critics have pointed out that Mischel’s original subjects were themselves children of university
professors and graduate students – not exactly a representative sample. Other scientists noted
that variations in home environment could account for differences: stable homes and one-child
families encourage self-control, whereas in less stable homes and those with many children, if
you don’t grab a marshmallow now there won’t be any left in 15 minutes. Mischel answers
these critics by noting that studies in a wide variety of schools found similar results. He
acknowledges that the environment shapes our ability to resist temptation and observes that
genetics plays a role too. But he still believes that the ability to resist temptation can be learnt
and encouraged. I asked Mischel whether self-control comes easily to him. ‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I
have great difficulties in waiting. It’s still difficult for me to wait in a queue in the bank.’

Part 4:

Which teenager

1 explains how admiring another person led to him accepting his own personality?

2 mentions how acquiring a new skill has made him approach other things in a similar way?

3 shared their hopes with someone else?

4 has had a positive impact on other people’s lives?

5 admits to still having the same wishes for the future?

6 felt frustrated that he hadn’t done something he felt he should have done?

7 made efforts to fit in with his classmates?

8 took note of someone else’s experiences of life?

9 admits to struggling with something that is expected of him?

10 acted on some advice he was given?

Lessons for life

A Ben

Making mistakes is something I’ve always tried to avoid. I used to feel pretty terrible if I thought
I’d offended someone by saying the wrong thing, or if I messed up some schoolwork because I’d
rushed it. If you do something wrong, you know you’re meant to acknowledge it, and I do, even
though I find that tough! Anyway, last month I started going to a Chinese class in the village
where I live. I don’t find Chinese easy to learn quickly; for a start, there’s a whole new writing
system to memorise, as well as unfamiliar pronunciation and grammar. If I’d sat in the classes
and not said anything because I was afraid to make mistakes, I wouldn’t have learnt anything.
I’ve also realised I can apply that to other parts of my life, too, and I do.

B Ali
I’ve always been ambitious – I want to be top of every class, captain of the football team, get a
great job and earn loads of money when I finish school. I told my grandma about my plans one
day and she said, ‘What if that doesn’t happen? Does that mean you’ll never be happy?’ That
made me think. My grandparents don’t like in a big house and they don’t have a car. They don’t
have a ton of money either. Yet, they love life. I asked Grandma her secret. ‘Well, I’m not
interested in material things,’ she said. ‘Look around you. Smell those beautiful flowers, feel that
sunshine on your back, laugh at Grandad’s silly jokes. Don’t let go of your dreams,’ she advised
me, ‘but don’t be disappointed if things don’t quite work out the way you want them to.’ I’m
still just as ambitious and tough on myself. My character hasn’t changed, but now I appreciate
the smaller things in life too.

C Nathan

Being shy, like I was as a little kid, isn’t great. You see the confident kids at school happy to
speak up in class, taking all the best roles in school plays and just generally not being too
worried by what other people think of them. I used to think being shy meant I was boring, or
didn’t have anything very interesting to say. I wished I could be different and tried so hard to be
more outgoing or think of stuff to talk about, that I’d come home from school feeling exhausted
every day. Then a new boy joined our class. He was quiet and didn’t contribute much to
conversations, but when he did speak, he was full of amazing ideas and didn’t seem bothered
by anyone disagreeing with him. That was great. He wasn’t in the least concerned about
whether people liked him or not either, and I learnt an important life lesson from him: just be
yourself.

D Jan

The greatest lesson I’ve learnt is not to be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling with
something at school and everyone else seems to get it, it can be hard to ask the teacher to
explain it again. I used to worry everyone would tease me about it. Then I got a bad mark for a
project I did and I knew that if I’d just asked for clarification on what we were supposed to do, I
could’ve done well. Next time there was something I didn’t understand, I waited till the end of
the class and asked the teacher about it. He said he wished I’d ask in class and then he could
explain things better if necessary. He said maybe other students got confused too. So, next time,
I spoke up. No one laughed and afterwards one or two people even thanked me – they’d been
worried about asking too.

Part 5:

Which person’s father …

2 encouraged his son not to give up in the face of disappointment?

3 gave his son advice in a light-hearted way?

4 made his son realise the need to try harder?

5 may not have succeeded in passing on certain ideas to his son?

6 never blamed his son for mistakes that he made?

7 put no pressure on his son to follow in his footsteps?

8 reassured his son when equipment let him down?

9 showed his son how to perform practical tasks?

10 was willing to listen to his son’s suggestions?

What’s the best advice your father ever gave you?

We asked four successful young men.

A Tony: Racing driver

‘Drive it like you stole it and keep it on the black stuff!’ I was quite nervous when I first started
racing, but those were my dad’s jokey words of wisdom and they made me feel better at the
time. In the beginning, I had quite a few spins on the circuits – the very first one was particularly
scary because the car left the track, but he never said it was my fault. I used to drive a Porsche
924 and pretty much every single race something would break, but Dad would just say: ‘Don’t
worry about the car, we can always fix it.’ I didn’t like people behind me when I went round
corners, but Dad was always telling me not to take any notice, to focus on what I was doing. I’ve
got a long way to go, but Dad’s really good – he’s hardly the most polite person to have around
if things don’t go well, but he’s my role model.

B David: Record producer

Because Dad and I have always been close, there was no one moment when he imparted some
big philosophical piece of advice. I think his greatest gift has been his general unwavering belief
in me. Since I was about fourteen, he’s given me the opportunity to input ideas and have my say
about the bands we work with or the equipment we use, which is amazing. When you’re part of
a family business, it can sometimes feel as if you have to be there, but my brother and I have
done other things, and we’re back with Dad again because we want to be. He left the decision
to us. Dad’s also been good at giving career advice because he’s done it and he’s got the
experience. He’s given me that drive and ambition to succeed.
C Andy: Buyer for a department store

I was probably Dad’s most unruly son. He tried to teach me a lot of things – how much I’ve
taken on board is another matter. But I don’t think I’m such a disappointment to him! He’s a
very cool dad, but he’s quite traditional in some ways. He’s always said that if you want to
succeed, then get on with it. If you’re going to do something, do it right away or at least write it
down so you don’t forget! I’m proud of my dad and how hard he worked for us to have a lovely
childhood and good lifestyle. Dad also taught me valuable skills like how to change the oil in my
car, how to play tennis and ski – although the last time he saw me doing that he said he feared
for his life!

D Simon: Rugby player

He had this catchphrase: ‘Under-prepare, and you prepare to fail.’ I heard it time and again. A
typical teenager when things went wrong, I was always trying to blame everything and
everyone but myself. He used his catchphrase and explained that if you don’t put sufficient
effort in, you’ll never get anything out of whatever it is you’re doing. That’s stayed with me ever
since, even now when I’m playing professionally. He’s always given a fair amount of advice. He
made me realise that if you just stick at something, no matter how hard things get, then your
time will come. It’s the hardest thing to hear when things aren’t going well. At the beginning of
the season, I wasn’t getting picked for many matches. Then when the chance came to play, I
really took it.

Part 6:

In which section does the writer

1 suggest why Canaletto’s work was less appreciated in his home city than elsewhere?

2 give examples of how Canaletto tricks the viewer in his pictures?

3 claim that Canaletto’s paintings contain a kind of historical record of Venice?

4 tell us where Canaletto worked on the composition of his pictures?

5 mention the reason why Canaletto didn’t paint exactly what he had seen?

6 suggest a weakness in the work Canaletto painted away from Venice?

7 give some details of Canaletto’s initial painting technique?

8 say that Canaletto took a risk by specialising in a particular kind of art?

9 describe different artistic reactions to Venice?

Canaletto and Venice

An expert describes the close relationship between the great 18th century Italian painter
Canaletto and his home city.

A Canaletto’s lifetime subject was the city of Venice. Apart from the works done during his
decade in London, he painted virtually nothing else, and Venice has never been so minutely and
extensively painted by any other artist. His response to Venice was not like the dramatic,
emotional response of a visitor overpowered by the city’s haunting beauty and magic, as the
British painter Turner was later, for example. Canaletto’s paintings, with their love of incidental
detail, betray a deeper-rooted, more lasting attachment – the affection of a native Venetian.

B Canaletto depicted the city as it really was, documenting the changes in the cityscape over
the years – Piazza San Marco being repaved, palaces being reconstructed, graffiti appearing and
disappearing. Above all, he suffused his painting with the natural light and atmosphere of
Venice which was second nature to him. When he went to London in 1746, Canaletto could not
quite come to terms with painting the cooler tones and the unsympathetic climate of England,
and somehow his paintings of the River Thames always ended up looking rather like the Grand
Canal.

C In spite of his natural affection for Venice, Canaletto’s paintings were rarely bought by his
fellow Venetians. This was probably because the locals did not need reminders of their city, and
also because in Venice ‘view painting’ was not taken very seriously in comparison with historical
and religious painting, or even landscape and figure painting. To become a ‘view painter’ at that
time was quite a brave choice and, by the end of his career, Canaletto had done much to raise
the status of the genre. However, his influence was felt more among painters in England, the
home of his major patrons.

D Canaletto’s extraordinarily detailed and accurate scenes were perfect for the foreign tourists
in Venice, who wanted souvenirs or mementoes of their visits. The more accurate the scene the
better, in fact, and Canaletto’s first patron, Owen McSwiney, persuaded him to change from his
earlier picturesque and theatrical style to a more factual one. Instead of loose brushwork and
thick paint, alongside dramatic contrasts of light and shade, Canaletto adopted more of a
snapshot approach, which proved to be very commercial. His colours became brighter, the paint
surface smoother, and the scenes looked more realistic. McSwiney wrote ‘his excellence lies in
painting things which fall immediately under his eye’, as if he worked directly from nature. At a
casual glance, everything in his pictures is instantly recognisable and looks exactly as it does, or
did, in reality. In fact, Canaletto never painted from nature – his pictures were created in the
studio.
E In working out the compositions, he used his imagination and a certain artistic licence.
Although he paid the minutest attention to the detail of a decorative carving, a ship’s sails or
washing hanging out, Canaletto felt at liberty to distort and reorganise the main objects in his
paintings in the interest of dramatic effect. He would alter the sweeping curve of the Grand
Canal, for example, or include more in a composition than could be seen from any single
viewpoint. The clutter of traffic on the waterways looks random and natural, but the position of
each boat was carefully worked out to achieve the best effect. In this way, he conveyed the
essence of Venice even if he deceived the eye. The drawings which formed the basis of his
compositions range from rapid sketches of ideas for painting, done on the spot, to large-scale
fully detailed preliminary drawings. Sometimes, he made precise drawings for engravers to
copy, and occasionally he produced them as works of art in their own right, in which case they
were finished in the studio.

Part 7:

Which person

1 is surprised at the job her friend now has?

2 is sure that this time their friendship will last?

3 thinks her life may have changed as a result of meeting her friend again?

4 feels that in one way she and her friend have similar personalities?

5 believes that even without the Internet they would have met again?

6 regrets losing contact with her friend years ago?

7 was initially unsure whether she wanted to talk to her friend again?

8 told her friend she was sad to hear what had happened to her?

9 was surprised at how little her friend’s appearance had changed?

10 admits she wrongly predicted her friend would never have a successful career?

Friends again

Five people talk about the school friends they have met up with again thanks to social media
websites.

A Nadia Hassan
Although we’ve been living in different countries for a long time, I know I should have made
more of an effort to stay in touch with Amina because we always got on well together, even
though we’re quite different people. For instance, I’m much more ambitious than her and have
no plans to start a family, whereas she already has two children. It’s quite a contrast in lifestyle,
and although it’s great that we’re both content with our own lives – and we’ve enjoyed catching
up with each other’s news – I don’t really know whether in the future we’ll have enough in
common to keep the relationship going.

B Julia Nowak

The first thing that struck me was that Natalia still looked much the same as she had ten years
earlier, unlike some other people in their late twenties – especially those who have had serious
personal issues to deal with during that time. She’s also still very keen on sports, which I’m not,
but she remains as sociable as she ever was and I suppose we’re quite alike in that respect. In
fact, she was one of the first people I thought of when the idea of contacting my old classmates
occurred to me, and it’s great you can do that online so easily. Otherwise you could lose touch
with them forever.

C Olivia Morgan

Back in our school days I always liked Megan, but she was never keen on studying so I sort of
took it for granted that she would end up doing a job that didn’t require qualifications. Now it
turns out she went on to do really well academically and for two years was a Philosophy lecturer
at a top university. The other mistake I made was being rather cautious about responding when
she first got in touch with me online last autumn, when in fact as soon as we saw each other on
the screen we started chatting again as if that ten year gap had never existed. I think we both
quickly realised that we wouldn’t ever let anything like that happen again.

D Maite Silva

I was delighted when Carla told me she has such a good job. Somehow I always knew she’d do
well, though I must confess that back then she was the last person I would have imagined
becoming an economist because she was pretty hopeless at maths. But when she appeared on
my laptop screen after all those years I was impressed by how mature she sounded and looked,
and in fact she might be having an influence on me. Ever since we met up again, I’ve found
myself taking a more serious attitude to my career, with promotion now a real possibility.

E Yan Lin

When I realised my old classmate Ming was trying to contact me I didn’t hesitate for a second in
replying. Somehow I’d always known that one way or another we were bound to run into each
other at some point, because when we left school we’d both gone off to do the same subject at
different universities. What I hadn’t been prepared for, though, was the news that she’d had to
interrupt her studies owing to personal problems. I expressed my sympathy, but she assured me
she’d recovered and eventually graduated, and that since then she’s been working in
advertising. Which of course is exactly what I do, too.

Part 8:

Which writer

1 knew at an early age what career he would choose?

2 did not enjoy his education?

3 was not brought up by his parents?

4 was very critical of one person?

5 invented some details in his book?

6 worked on the book with another author?

7 described other people very well?

8 told of the good and bad times of his early career?

9 was confused about what he had to learn?

10 described how the place where he lived changed over time?

Reviews of famous autobiographers who wrote about being teenagers

A Winston Churchill – politician

Churchill wrote the first volume of his autobiography in 1930, nine years before becoming Prime
Minister of the UK. Called My Early Life, it covered the time from his birth in 1870, when he
grew up in a very grand house as the neglected son of a wealthy aristocratic who were too busy
to spend much time with him. Instead, he spent his days – and developed his strongest bond –
with the nanny who looked after him. Although he went on to become an excellent writer and
perhaps the outstanding European politician of his day, the boy Churchill detested being made
to study, and wrote entertainingly about his schoolmaster’s attempts to teach him Latin. When
instructed that ‘mensa’ meant ‘oh, table’ and informed that this was what you would say if you
were talking to a table, young Churchill did not see why he needed to know this, and replied
that he couldn’t see the point. ‘But I never do,’ he said. His teacher didn’t see the funny side,
which, fortunately for us, makes the book all the more entertaining.
B Laurie Lee – poet

Laurie Lee’s classic memoir Cider With Rosie tells of his childhood in a remote valley in England’s
Cotswold Hills in the early years of the twentieth century. At the start of the book, the valley
seemed to have developed little in hundreds of years; by the end, a bus service and electricity
have arrived; Lee’s village was no longer so remote, but was now fully connected to the modern
world. Much of the book shows what a remarkable woman Laurie’s mother was, raising him and
his brothers and sisters with little help from anyone else. As he grows older, he senses a feeling
that he was born to be a poet. He was right of course, and besides his poetry, Lee also produced
plays, short stories and travel books, as well as this autobiographical masterpiece, which is as
alive now as the day it was written.

C Robbie Williams – singer

The former singer of the British boy band Take That released his autobiography You Know
Me after two decades being one of the most famous musicians on the planet. Starting with his
childhood in Stoke-on-Trent, it tells of the successes and hard times Robbie experienced after
becoming a superstar. You Know Me was clearly aimed at his fans, many of whom would
probably already have bought Feel, the 2004 biography of Williams written by journalist Chris
Heath, who also collaborated on this publication. So how is You Know Me different? Well, there
are plenty of anecdotes, gathered from informal interviews Heath conducted with Williams,
which provide insight not just into the man himself, but into the music industry as a whole.

D Gerald Durrell – wildlife writer

British naturalist Gerald Durrell wrote this account of the years he spent aged 10 to 15 living on
the island of Corfu. His eccentric family and the inhabitants of Corfu are portrayed brilliantly.
Gerald’s brother Lawrence in particular emerges as a bad-tempered, mean and unreasonable
young man. It’s tempting to think that Lawrence (who also became a writer) must have been
outraged by the book’s publication. But apparently he both liked it, and praised its accuracy.
Although it is an autobiography, not all the ‘facts’ in the book are actually correct: for example,
some of the family actually lived in a different part of the island, rather than all in the same
home as the book claimed.

Part 9:

When talking about their bike, which cyclist

1 accepts the need to wear uncomfortable safety equipment?

2 advises people to make sure a new bike is comfortable to ride?

4 disagrees with other people’s opinion of one of the bike’s features?

5 hopes not to get caught in bad weather on the bike?

6 feels that cycling is less frustrating than driving?

7 finds some cycle journeys easier than others?

8 feels that the bike matches the owner’s character?

9 was once the victim of bike crime?

10 was a professional cyclist for a short time?

I love my bike

Four young Dubliners talk about the joys of cycling in the city

A Erin

This old second-hand bike gets me from A to B all right because you don’t need flashy sets of
gears or anything like that in a city this size and it makes it less of a target for thieves. But having
said that, mine’s a very bright colour – it cheers me up, especially when I have to cycle home in
the pouring rain. I’ve always thought that the bike was a good reflection of the real me actually,
and I usually wear jeans when I’m cycling. I might need to rethink that though because I’ve just
started my own company, and my outlook on life has changed a little. There may be times when
I need to turn up looking a bit more elegant! I’d say to anyone thinking of getting a bike, make
sure the saddle’s right before you part with your money. If you’re going to use it a lot, you don’t
want to get sore.

B Luke

I bought my bike from an Internet auction site and had to have it shipped from Germany in
pieces. I then paid to have it assembled here in Dublin – but it was worth it. I use it every day
and tend to wear everyday clothes and try and dodge the showers. I cycle all over the city
because it’s much quicker than walking and you don’t get snarled up in the traffic, which can be
a pain in a motor vehicle. At least on a bike you can keep moving. The only tip I’d give to novice
cyclists round here is keep a lookout for drivers turning left, it’s easy for them to miss you
because you can see what they’re doing but they can’t necessarily see you. I worked briefly as a
cycle courier – delivering letters and stuff. It was fun, but I wouldn’t recommend making a
career out of it!

C Claire
My parents picked this bike up for me in New York. It’s a red and black cruiser with a burger-
shaped bell – some of my friends think that’s a bit uncool, but I don’t really go along with that
idea. I’ve got two helmets, a summer and a winter version – but I still get too hot on really
sunny days. Still, you can’t really do without one, can you? I cycle down to college in no time at
all, but the uphill trek home takes me around thirty-five minutes. I only take the bus if it’s wet.
It’s quicker, but on the bike I can make my own mind up about when I travel. I cycle in high
heels, which you might think would be tricky, but is actually easier than walking any distance in
them. But I wouldn’t really recommend them to other cyclists.

D Kieran

My bike’s an early 1980s racer and I bought it off an old man who sells junk out of his garage. He
reckoned it had once belonged to a professional cycling champion, but I think he was making it
up. I was looking for old cameras, but when I saw it I couldn’t resist it. It did get stolen on one
occasion, but then later that week I saw someone riding it up my street. I grabbed him and gave
him his taxi fare home so that I could take it back. My advice to cyclists would be to wear
fluorescent armbands, especially at night or in poor weather conditions. They’re less
uncomfortable than the waistcoats or jackets in the same material. I’ve just invested in special
raingear actually, but I don’t find it very comfortable, to be honest, because as soon as the sun
comes out, you feel overdressed.

Part 10:

Which person

1 misses a place they used to go to as a child?

2 states that tourism provides a considerable number of jobs for local people?

3 wishes local people had opposed the construction of certain holiday homes?

4 claims that tourism has destroyed a traditional industry?

5 blames the tourist industry for spoiling the local countryside?

6 feels that the presence of people from other cultures benefits the local community?

7 criticises the behaviour of tourists in their town?

8 says the town is wealthier than it was before it became a tourist resort?

9 believes that most of the profits from the local tourist industry go abroad?

10 is not convinced that so-called green tourism actually benefits the environment?
Living with tourism

Five people describe how tourism has affected their home town.

A Leonor Sousa

It can’t be denied that tourism has attracted investment, which has certainly raised living
standards here, but the cost in other respects has been extremely high. Take the effect on the
environment, for instance. When my parents were young this used to be an area of fields and
woods, but now everything is covered in concrete. The tourists themselves aren’t responsible
for this; it’s the construction companies, property developers and estate agents who are to
blame because they’re the ones making all the money. They’re all based in the big cities and
bring in their own people, so they hardly create any employment at all for local residents.

B Yusuf Demir

When I was growing up in my home town there was a path I used to walk along to go to school,
and last summer I went to see if it was still there. It was, but the view from it had changed
completely. Now there is a vast shopping mall, with a cinema and cafés alongside. I don’t
actually mind that, because it means there are lots more things to do, and I also like the fact
that it has a really international atmosphere. It’s good for local people to meet visitors from
other parts of the world, try new kinds of food and hear about different ways of living.

C Matt Walker

Tourism has changed this town so much, even in the years since I was at junior school. In those
days there was a football pitch near the harbour where we would kick a ball around, but it’s
gone now, which is a pity. In the harbour itself luxury yachts owned by people from richer parts
of the country have replaced the fishing boats, to the extent that there is now no sign of what
used to be the main source of income and employment locally. In the evenings the town is
certainly a lot livelier, but sometimes people start doing things they would never think of doing
back in their own home towns, and then the police have to be called.

D Trisha Chandra

I was just a child when tourism first took off here and those incredibly ugly houses were built for
summer visitors. The residents really should have protested about that. It was all the fault of the
town council, who only ever thought in the short term and seemed to give planning permission
to anyone who applied to build anything. Nowadays there’s talk of ecological tourism, but that’s
just a way of making people feel less guilty about the harm they are doing by making a few
insignificant changes, such as re-using towels in their hotel rooms.

E Daniela Navarro
I know some of the new hotels and holiday apartment blocks are unattractive, and that the
bars, restaurants and nightclubs that cater for tourists have changed the nature of the town, but
without them unemployment – particularly among the young – would be far worse than it
currently is. That, though, is as far as the economic benefits to the town go, as the only ones
making any real money out of all this are the big tour operators and the owners of hotel chains,
none of whom are actually based in this country. Also, very few tourists learn our language. I
know it must be difficult for them because most of them are quite old, but it means there’s little
communication between us and them.

Part 11:

Which student

1 has done a lot of research into something closely connected to a job?

2 wants to do the same thing that someone she is close to does?

3 does not know how to get into her chosen profession?

4 understands that she is unlikely to be widely recognised for work she might do?

5 likes expressing her feelings through what she does?

6 enjoys researching details related to the job?

7 hopes to encourage others to take an interest in her subject?

8 became interested in a subject when she was taught about it?

9 enjoys sharing her knowledge of a subject with other people?

10 says the reason she would like to do a job is not what people might expect?

Dream jobs

We asked four young people what their dream job would be and why. Here are their answers.

A Ava

‘A pilot. That would be my absolute dream job. It isn’t because I want to see the world, which
everyone immediately thinks when I say what I want to do, though it would be a bonus if I got
to spend time on the ground somewhere exotic. I don’t think that happens much in reality,
though. I don’t even like flying that much when I’m stuck in a passenger seat staring out of a
tiny window at the clouds. I’d rather be up front taking charge! One of my hobbies is making
model aeroplanes with my dad. I know they can’t fly, and I know they’re nothing like the real
thing, but every time we bring a new one home to build, I go online and took up everything I
can about it. I’ve not only built hundreds of models but I’ve built up my knowledge about
planes, too. I’m also really into physics at school and I just think flying is really interesting.’

B Emily

‘I’ve had hearing difficulties since I was really young, and I often just zone out and stop trying to
keep up with things when there’s a lot of background noise – it can be tricky trying to keep up
with my friends’ conversations. My parents are both deaf, so I’ve been able to use sign language
for as long as I can remember. I’m teaching my friends now, so we can communicate more easily
if we’re somewhere noisy. They love it and I’ve discovered how much I love teaching them. We
have a laugh when one of them gets it wrong and signs something funny by mistake. So my aim
is to be a sign language teacher. I’m unsure about how to go about it yet and it’s still a pretty
new idea but I’m determined to find out what I can about it and make sure I get the right
qualifications.’

C Sophia

‘I want to be a poet. I’ve been writing my own poems for a couple of years. The kind of stuff I do
is called ‘slam’ poetry. It’s where you reflect on life experiences. It’s emotional and passionate
and comes straight from the heart. I got interested in it when a poet came to school and gave us
a workshop on it. He taught us about how to make the words flow and how to say it aloud. Slam
poetry’s performed in competitions and I’ve won two now. I was so nervous the first time I
stood up but then I focussed on the message I wanted to get across to the audience and then it
just seemed easy. I’d love to get my poems published and carry on giving performances. People
overlook poetry a bit but this is the kind of style that gets noticed!’

D Mia

‘My mum’s a research scientist and I hope to follow in her footsteps. I’m pretty good at science
at school and I love biology. I think I’d like to work on developing medicines. That’s something
that can really change the world, make a big difference to people’s lives. I’m fairly realistic about
it, though. I know I’ll have to do years of study and groundwork before I get to any of the really
exciting stuff. Even then, I’m probably not going to be a world-famous scientist, like Einstein. I
know I’ll just be a tiny part of the whole process but I still think it would be amazing to work on
the next big discovery, the next big cure. Imagine that! I also want to get more girls into science.
A lot of the girls in my class want to be actors or singers but that’s not very practical, is it?’

Part 12:

Which of the groups

2 wants to respond to feedback from users of a service it provides?

3 has put the results of its work on show to the public?

4 has found it hard to finance its activities?

5 offers advice to beginners in an activity?

6 provides a pick-up service for its users?

7 plans to start selling things to make money?

8 would use the prize money to publicise its activities?

9 noticed that something that was still useful was going to waste?

10 provides a service for people all over the country?

Future-Friendly Awards

Four local community groups run by volunteers have been nominated to win a cash prize.
Who do you think should win?

A CycleStreets

You’re keen to get on your bike, but you’re not so keen on bumping over poor roads, sweating
up hills or riding between all the large trucks on the main roads. Where can you go? The answer
is to ask www.cyclestreets.net, a journey-planning website for cyclists. ‘We aim to give
newcomers the confidence to start cycling – with all its environmental and health benefits – and
to improve routes for those who already cycle,’ says spokesperson Martin Lucas-Smith. The not-
for-profit group is based in Cambridge, but routes are available in all regions nationwide. Cyclists
can get involved, too, by contributing photographs and reporting obstructions or other issues.
‘We’ve done years of unpaid work and winning this award would help us make some major
improvements, which the cyclists who contact us have been asking for,’ says Martin.

B Sefton Green Gym

If you visit Sefton Green Gym in Liverpool, don’t go expecting to see weights or rowing
machines – this ‘gym’ just has rows of lovingly tended organic fruit and vegetables. The gym was
set up to help local people improve their skills, make new friends and enjoy the health benefits
of gardening. Members range from young people with learning difficulties to elderly people
with health problems. ‘My dad went along after a serious illness to get fit and make new
friends,’ says Joanne Woods. ‘He’s worked hard to raise funds but with limited success, and the
gym faces closure if we don’t get any more.’ The award would help the gym to expand by
installing eco-friendly solar heating, as well as advertising for new members and extending its
links with the community.

C The Project Group

The Project Group, from the small town of Oswestry, helps people with health problems and
learning disabilities to build their self-esteem through creativity. This year, the group has
focused on using recycled materials, including making vases from waste paper and pictures
from recycled glass. Last year, it helped stage an exhibition of sculptures entirely created from
rubbish such as crisp packets, plastic bags and odd shoes. It has also created posters for the
local Wildlife Trust, and helped other community groups. ‘The whole organisation is user-led,
and our artwork can now be admired in many public buildings and spaces in our region,’ says
spokeswoman Jo Davis. ‘We also hope to use the award to develop a retail range of recycled
products to help fund our activities.’

D Cleanstream Carpets

Every year, an astonishing three-and-a-half million carpet tiles are thrown away in South Wales
and south-west England. Recognising that many tiles could be reused, a group of volunteers
formed Cleanstream Carpets to collect and supply them at affordable prices to local
organisations and community groups. Volunteers collect and grade tiles before selling them
from Cleanstream’s premises near Rhondda. Satisfied customers range from local schools to a
community furniture bank in Bedfordshire, and the tiles have even been used to build refuges
for endangered animals such as great crested newts. ‘Our unique selling point is the guarantee
that the product is diverted from landfill,’ says one volunteer. ‘Winning the award would give us
encouragement to explore other ways of using other recycled material.’

Part 13:

Which person

1 bought a second-hand bike?

2 says their new bike is good value for money?

3 found it difficult to slow down at one point?

4 had to take their bike in for repair?

5 needed to put the bike together before they could ride it?

6 bought a new bicycle to replace one that had been stolen?

7 says that riding their bike up hills is tiring?

8 says they wish they had checked the size of the bike sooner?
9 had to get off their bike when they were riding to fix it?

10 compares cycling with another way of keeping fit?

My new bicycle

Four people talk about their bikes.

A Jonas Hagen

I bought my new mountain bike online and as soon as it was delivered to my home in kit form I
set to work. Once it actually looked like a bike and I’d checked that everything seemed to be
working properly, I set off down the road. All went well at first, but later on I had a brief
moment of panic when the brakes suddenly failed and I narrowly avoided crashing into a hedge.
I adjusted them when I got home, and since then they’ve been fine. The only other adjustment
I’ve had to make is to raise the seat to the maximum because it turns out this bike is for riders
whose inside leg measures considerably less than mine. I should really have noticed that before
I bought it.

B Lili Huang

I originally bought my bike just for occasional use, but now I go everywhere on it. It’s great
exercise, every bit as good as going to the gym. It feels just the right size for me and somehow I
always feel full of energy when I’m on it, even when my friends and I ride into the mountains at
weekends. I’ve only ever had one breakdown, which was when the chain broke. Fortunately
there was a garage nearby, where a very kind car mechanic quickly got me back on the road. I
don’t know what I’d do without my bike, which is slightly worrying because a lot of people
round here have had their bikes stolen. That’s why I keep it in the hall downstairs, rather than in
the street.

C James Thompson

This is only the second bicycle I’ve ever bought. It was on offer at the local cycle shop and I think
I got something of a bargain because on the whole I’ve been pleased with it. At first I had some
difficulties with the gears, but I managed to sort those out while I was riding. It’s a very solid
bike, though that does mean it’s rather heavy and I wouldn’t want to have to push it far if I had
a breakdown. It also makes pedalling up steep slopes hard work, although fortunately most of
the routes round here are reasonably flat. I don’t think it’s the kind of bike anyone would want
to steal, but I always secure it with a good strong lock just in case. Recently I’ve also fitted more
powerful front and rear lights so that drivers can see me better after dark.

D Mia Doherty
I actually chose this bike in something of a hurry. I’d left my old one outside the sports centre
and when I came back it had just disappeared. I reported it, of course, but that was the last I
ever saw of it, and I needed a new one to get to work every day. I probably paid more than I
should have done for it, though I know the previous owner had looked after it well and I haven’t
had any trouble with it. Apart, that is, from a flat tyre which meant I had to stop and mend it on
the way home in the pouring rain. Riding it certainly helps keep me ft, and even in weather like
that I wouldn’t change it for a car. The only incident I’ve had was when a dog ran out into the
road in front of me, but the brakes did their job superbly.