Practice test №1

Task 1. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Animal defender

Which species pulls at your heartstrings- a panda or a toad? A lion or a dung beetle? When it comes to emotional attachment, research funding, global popularity and conservation support, the fluffier your fur and the bigger your eyes, the better your chances- unless zoologist Lucy Cooke has a vote. She's on a one-woman mission to show the world why some of the most unlovable animals are actually the most interesting and deserving of our attention, study and protection.

Cooke's popular blogs, online videos, films and TV programmes bring her characteristic sense of humour and unusual storytelling style to a serious message: If we only care for the best known and best loved species, other enormously important parts of the web of life could vanish forever. With her unconventional attitude, she's taking advantage of the power of the internet to reach a new audience that more traditional wildlife programmes have yet to tap.

'My goal is to persuade the unconvinced,' says Cooke. 'A lot of conservation messages are difficult to hear; they make people feel guilty. I think humour is the sugar coating that helps people swallow the pill. If you manage to make someone laugh while you tell them something important, they'll stick around and listen to more.'

Cooke worries about what she calls 'the tyranny of the cute'. 'There are so many television shows about koala bears and kittens,' she observes. 'All the attention seems focused on a handful of charismatic "celebrity" animals. Even scientists get less funding for animals that aren't sweet and cuddly. In fact, large mammal species appear in 500 times as many articles in scientific journals as threatened amphibians.' She adds: 'Weird, freaky creatures fascinate me because they tell an amazing evolutionary story. I'm interested in all of nature, not just the shiny, fluffy bits.'

Amphibians- animals like frogs that live both on land and in water- top Cooke's list. 'Over a third of amphibians are going extinct; it's the worst extinction crisis since the dinosaurs were wiped off the planet. Yet I couldn't convince anyone to commission a film about it. That motivated me to start my Amphibian Avenger blog.' The widely read blog showcases creatures that rarely attract the spotlight. 'Frogs are such a fascinating miracle of evolution that I could study them forever.'

Amphibians also occupy a crucial spot in the middle of the food chain. 'If you remove them, everything else goes haywire,' she notes. 'When amphibians go extinct, birds and snakes that eat them also disappear. Since amphibians breathe through their delicate skin, they are very vulnerable to pollution, climate change, and disease. That makes them fantastic barometers of the health of ecosystems. If amphibians aren't doing well, chances are their overall environment is sick.'

The wobbly-nosed proboscis monkey, dung beetles, bats and more get their moment in the sun thanks to Cooke. 'it's about telling their stories in a way that engages a wider audience. I want people to share my sense of wonder, amazement and love for these creatures. Once you understand why they're ugly or odd, I hope you'll appreciate and want to save them as much as I do.'

1. What are we told about Cooke in the second paragraph?

A She hopes to make more conventional nature documentaries in the future.

B She is communicating her ideas to people who have not heard them before.

C Her approach is more suited to the internet than to other media.

D Her manner shows a lack of concern about the problems she mentions.

2. According to Cooke, what is many people's attitude to nature conservation?

A They are embarrassed at their lack of knowledge of the subject.

B They are reluctant to think about the subject.

C They find it hard to take the subject seriously.

D They are tired of hearing so much about it.

3. What is Cooke's main point in the fourth paragraph?

A lt is a mistake to limit the types of species that are studied carefully.

B Too much research is being done into animals that are endangered.

C Scientists are wasting public money on unnecessary animal studies.

D Television programmes rarely concentrate on larger species.

4. Cooke says she started her Amphibian Avenger blog because

A she wanted to raise funds to make a film.

B she felt inspired to start a search for a new species.

C she realised she would have to inform people herself.

D she knew she would always have something interesting to write about.

5. What does 'goes haywire' in the sixth paragraph mean?

A tends to do better

B carries on as it always has

C finds ways of coping

D stops working as it should

Task 2. You are going to read an article about teenage television stars. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (6-11) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example (o).

A Bad acting!

В The future looks bright

3.                    Fantasy lifestyles
4.                    The way they see us

5.                     Teen talk is not for parents
6.                     Ideal teenagers
7.                    Closer to reality
8.                    Teenage stereotypes on TV

Is that me on TV!

They have cash to spend, time to spare and talk in a very weird way. TV's got a funny view of teenagers.

0 - H

It's the 21st century - a new era. It’s time for the younger generation to take over the world and show adults what we're made of. However, there isn’t much variety in TV's portrayal of teenagers. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that images of teenagers are mostly stereotypical.

And when programmes try and show less stereotypical teenagers, they don't always get it right.

6        

Television teenagers often don't seem ‘real’. Older actors in their mid-20s frequently play the roles of teenagers, creating the false image that we are all spot-free, glamorous young adults. It doesn’t help anyone’s self-image to compare themselves to make-believe stars. However, the shows' producers think that superstar actors help make 'perfect teenagers' and help make their programmes big hits. They aren’t particularly interested in how real the teenagers actually are.

7        

In many programmes such as Hollyoaks, Popular, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the comical My Family, teenagers can get a little out of hand. They lead easy and sometimes wild lifestyles where everyone has a new car and plenty of money to spend. In reality, we don't always have enough change in our pockets to go and sit in a cafe or go shopping everyday. But because it's television, the idealistic lives of these teenagers appear far more interesting than ours. And because it is only television, they can get away with exaggerated and unrealistic stories that usually turn out all right in the end.

8        

I feel that Michael (Gabriel Thompson) in My Family is as close as any programme has got

to portraying a teenager realistically. Although Michael has been brought up in a middle-class family, his lifestyle does mimic that of the average teenager. He is witty, intelligent and shows us how he handles his embarrassing parents and older siblings. It just goes to show

that very occasionally, 16-year-olds have a better vocabulary than just 'whatever' and any random swear word.

9        

Talking of slang, let's face it, adults can't write 'street' language into a script without having a slang dictionary to hand. Even I have trouble keeping up with the quick changes, and I attend a relatively 'ghetto' school. So terms such as 'blood' (friend), 'standard' (good), 'shoddy'

(good) and ‘beef (trouble) are impossible for adults to understand as the vocabulary of the urban generation changes constantly. From a 16-year-old's perspective, adults simply cannot do street lingo. Screen parents do make very good attempts at being cool with their children. It can be hilariously funny, as you tend to laugh at the children for having such embarrassing parents.

10        

The way teenagers are portrayed by adults on television can give us an insight into how our elders perceive us. On rare occasions, they can get it horribly wrong and make out that most teens are hooligans who steal and fight just to pass the time. We aren't all like that Surprisingly, some of us are actually intelligent individuals, who are fully aware of the world and its fears. As hard as it may be to believe, young adults aren't defenceless and incompetent And we are certainly not naive.

11        

So, television companies who assume all young people are loud, unaware and full of hate for the world, take note. We don't all hate our parents and the whole world. Amazingly, we have the ability to come up with original concepts and turn those ideas into reality. I personally believe that my generation does have the ability to run the world properly after all, and show it what we're made of.

Task 3. You are going to read the opinions of four young people about pocket money. For questions 12-16, choose from the people (А-E).

Which person or people:

12. saves some money in case something bad happens?
13. have been given money for helping around the house?
14. knows that some parents are not well off?
15. will not ask for expensive items?
16. likes the feeling of having his/her own money?

Money matters

A Malcolm Sawyers, 13, allowance: €5 per week. I usually save € 1.50 and spend the rest. I haven’t counted it for a while, so I'm not sure how much is there at the moment. If I do a really big chore at home, I might get a bit extra. Generally, the two things I like to buy with my pocket money are tracksuits and trainers. Recently, I needed some new trainers and my

dad offered to pay up to €40 for them. But I wanted more expensive ones, so I did a deal with my mum where she agreed to buy me the ones I wanted and I said I’d go without pocket money for three weeks.

В Grace Pickering, 11, no allowance. If I was to get it, I would like about €1 a week. My mum doesn’t think I'm old enough to go shopping on my own, so I don't really need a lot of money each week. I save up money from Christmas and birthdays and have got quite a lot at the moment - about €60. If there’s something I want and it's too expensive, I don't bother asking my mum and dad if I can have it; but if it's something small, I will ask them if I can

have it. They're likely to say, ‘If you practise the piano (or something like that), we'll get it for you.'

C Jimmy O'Donnell, 14, allowance: €10. My mum gives me €10 a week and says that I can either spend it in the canteen at school or she will make me a packed lunch, and then I can save the €10 to spend on whatever I want. I'm trying to save the €10 and not spend it in the canteen. I have €170 saved up from birthday and Christmas money.

I try not to talk about pocket money at school because I know there are some people whose mums can't afford to give them much. The whole pocket money issue is very competitive at school.

D Ellen Segalov, 12, allowance: €8 a month I try to put some of it to one side for emergencies, and spend the rest. It doesn’t bother me spending less than my allowance, but it really hurts, when I want to buy something expensive. One thing I've found works very well is a 50/50 deal with my mum and dad - I pay half, if they'll pay half. I went to the cinema with my friends last week to see Ocean's 17 on that basis. They are very good to do deals with - I end up getting an extra euro here and there.

E. Mike Milburn, allowance: €10. Now that I've started secondary school, I'm going out more with my friends. It's nice to go out with some money in my pocket and know that it's mine. There are some things that I do with my friends that don't cost money, like going to drama and running clubs at school, but there's only so much you can do without money. I keep saying to Mum and Dad that I'll wash the car to get some extra money. But it hasn't actually happened yet.

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (17 - 22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

Hooked-up babes.

Now that there is a mobile phone for every adult in the UK, it’s the children’s turn to join the mobile revolution. In Tokyo, for example, one-quarter of all four to fifteen-year-olds has a mobile phone. Half the children surveyed recently said their lifestyle ‘required’ them to have a mobile phone, while 41.5% said their parents ‘forced’ them to have one.

Another interesting poll was conducted on the Tokyo streets by Japan Today magazine, however, suggests (17)              It is not the content of the communication but the act of staying in touch that matters. Emi Inoue, 17, agrees, adding: ‘It’s great for talking to friends about gossip I don’t want my parents to hear.’

Parents were also surveyed and more than a third felt their children spent too much time on the phone, (18)               .Tokyo parents may have good reason to be worried, since 26% of the children said they were regularly corresponding with people they had never met.

Such growth in the mobile phone market, especially among the young, has lead to a new type of neurosis, say sociologists. Japanese teenagers, in particular, have become fanatical about

being ‘always available’. ‘If I can't find my phone I feel really isolated from my friends,’ says 16-year-old Asuka Maezawa. Indeed, many become extremely uneasy (19)               ,

fearing they are becoming socially isolated,’ writes the sociologist Hisao Ishii.

If this trend continues, he adds, such thing is likely to happen. Mobile phone addiction, (20)   forming and maintaining relationships without the help of mobiles.

An extreme view, perhaps, (21)          of the mobile revolution’s negative impact on children. Moreover, academic performance may also be affected: 68% of children who responded to one survey and owned a mobile phone said their grades were poor, compared with 49% of those without mobiles, (22)                             .

A that the nations’ teenagers have other reasons for keeping hold of their best electronic friend’

В if unable to contact their peers countless times each day

C who said they were doing well

D but the success of wireless web phones in Japan shows more evidence

E while 23% said the mobile made it difficult for them to keep track of who their children were communicating with

F as services improve, mobile phones could soon replace laptops among teenagers.

G where a person is incapable of

H where mobiles have been common among the young for some time

Use of English

Task 5. Read the texts below. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Why we don't like the sound of our own voice

'That doesn't sound like me ...' This is what many of us mutter when we hear our recorded voices. Well, yes, it does - and it's what everyone else hears, too.

When someone speaks to us, or we hear a recording of our voice, the sound is air-conducted. Sounds (23)               on the air are transmitted through our eardrums, making the small bones in our inner ears tremble. In turn, these vibrations are (24)               by our brains.

When we speak, the sound doesn't all enter our ears from the outside, and what we hear is

(25)          different. The vibrations are sent directly to our inner ear, and as they travel, their frequency is lowered.

The reason our recorded voice doesn't (26)           us is that we've grown up hearing ourselves in a real way, so it's difficult to accept that isn't how we sound to the outside world. We've (27)               got used to what we sound like inside.

Trojan Horse

The Trojan Horse is a story from the Trojan War about the subterfuge that the Greeks

(28)          to enter the independent city of Troy and win the war.

In the canonical version, after a fruitless (29)           siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside including Od- ysseus. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans (30)                             the horse into their city as a victory trophy. (31)               night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, (31)               the war.

Metaphorically, a "Trojan Horse" has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place.

Practice test №2

Task 1. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

School farms

More and more British schools are now running their own farms. There are now over 100, with another 100 more in the pipeline. One example is Hutton College in the north of England, which opened its farm in 2005. Here, students deal with all aspects of raising animals and growing vegetables. The working day starts at 7.30 am, two hours before lessons begin. Jake, 15, who used to hate waking up early for school, is now happy to do so. ‘I love looking after the animals even if I have to get up early.’ Jake also thinks the responsibility has made him a better student: ‘I don’t misbehave any more, and I find it easier to concentrate in class now.’

There are 1,200 pupils attending Hutton College. Sam Connolly, a science teacher, explains that although the school farm has helped improve the attitudes and behaviour of many of the students, overall it has also significantly improved results in subjects such as art, technology, maths and science. A number of school qualifications, including Agriculture Science and the Certificate in Animal Care, are now based on work done at the farm.

Mr Connolly emphasises that this is a real farm. It gives the school the opportunity to

examine areas which are vital to today’s food industry, including better awareness of where food comes from, animal welfare, the importance of a balanced diet and the need to reduce waste. Students are involved in growing fruit and vegetables which are on sale in the

college’s farm shop. ‘If I can get children to realise how farming works in reality and what it all means, from the farm to the dinner plate, I’ll be delighted,’ he says.

All those concerned agree that the main thing with food is knowing where it comes from, so students are urged to pick and eat produce grown in the college gardens. Eating vegetables picked fresh from the gardens is something new for students often more familiar with supermarket ready-meals. Everyone comments on the way the lettuces stay fresh a lot longer than pre-packaged supermarket versions.

Mr Connolly says he is often amazed at some students’ ignorance of farming. ‘Even

something as basic as growing a few peas and discovering how much effort you have to put in to get results can have a powerful impact on people,’ he says. Professor Alex Andrews of Hutton University agrees. His research shows farms can improve students’ self-confidence, educate them in the importance of eating well throughout their lives, and teach them about where their dinner originally comes from. As he says, ‘All schools should be able to use farms to support their educational processes, even if this involves just looking after some chickens or growing vegetables for the school kitchens.’

1.   Before he started work on the farm, Jake

A was always late for school.

B caused problems in his lessons.

C knew very little about farming.

D disliked having any responsibility.

2.   What does Sam Connolly think is the farm’s main achievement?

A It has made teachers’ lives easier in class.

B It has improved the students’ school attendance.

C It has boosted the school’s academic performance.

D It has helped increase the range of subjects studied.

3.   Mr Connolly’s ambition is for the farm to help students

A understand the whole process of food production.

B get employment in the food industry.

C appreciate the importance of the environment.

D know more about the business side of agriculture.

4.   Why are students encouraged to pick and eat vegetables?

A to provide a healthier diet than they get at home

B to teach them important new practical skills

C to reinforce a key piece of knowledge

D to demonstrate the poor quality of supermarket food

5.   Professor Andrews thinks school farms

A have changed children’s eating habits.

B can help schools save money.

C should be part of the curriculum.

D may have long-term health benefits.

Task 2. Choose the most suitable summary sentence from the list A-H for each part (6-11) of the article. There is one extra summary sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example (o).

A Free time is another opportunity for learning.

В Doing something different is a form of relaxation.

C It’s the friendship that really counts.

D Souls find meaning in the sounds.

E Health and fitness are the key.

F Time with relations is well spent.

G The star struck seek the screen

H There are two different aspects to this.

0 – G

Jemma and Julie are twins, both 16 last month. They’re good students at school and spend a lot of time studying, but they make sure they take time out for a little fun and entertainment The best choice for a free afternoon or evening for these girls is going to the cinema with

friends. Tm crazy about action movies,' says Jemma. 'They’re just so exciting!' Julie agrees and explains that going to the cinema is almost an addiction for them. ‘If I don’t see at least one movie at the weekend, I really feel I’ve missed something great.'

Charlie is 15 years old and has his own ideas on how to spend his leisure time. Never without his laptop during the week, Charlie abandons technology at the weekend in favour of his other hobby - bowling! Charlie's favourite way to unwind is to bowl for a few hours at the

local bowling alley. ‘We've got a nice league going, and it’s great fun. Bowling lets you escape from the pressures of school and just enjoy yourself for a while. It's great!'

Sean is 17 and his cousin Roger is 16. They both believe there’s only one proper leisure activity - sport! In particular, football. Sean and Roger are both players and fans. They play for the school team and attend as many of their local team's games as they can. When they can afford the trip, they love to travel to other cities to support their team in away games.

Faces painted in team colours, Sean and Roger are sure to be the ones jumping up and down in front of the camera when their team scores. 'There’s nothing more exciting than sport,’ says Sean. Roger adds that being a player goes hand in hand with being a fan of a

professional team. ‘I can’t imagine being one and not the other.' 8     

Jeffrey, 14, is also very passionate about his favourite pastime, music. 'Music means everything to me,' he explains. 'It expresses all my moods and feelings. It makes me feel like someone totally understands me.' When he’s not listening to music, he's out shopping for new CDs or DVDs with his friends. 'We talk about music all the time, what’s new, what's hot, you know. It's a very big part of our lives.'

9      

Valerie and Sue are both 17 and are not very specific about what they do in their free time, probably because they don't actually have any hobbies! They go window shopping, maybe sit for a drink or a quick bite to eat somewhere, and in general, just ‘hang out’. ‘It’s hard to say exactly what we do when we hang out, but it's important that we get together whenever we can. We're such good friends that we have loads of fun even if we’re just sitting in a fast food restaurant talking!'

10      

Fifteen-year-old Monica and her brother Freddy, 14, say that they don’t have much leisure time at all. In fact, almost all of their time away from school is spent doing homework and taking lessons. ‘It might sound sad, but in my free time I usually do something like practise the piano. I don’t mind because I’m getting really good. One day I'll be glad I put in the time to learn.' Freddy agrees and adds, ‘You don’t have to be fooling around or getting into trouble to have fun. I’m taking karate lessons on Saturdays with two of my schoolmates and we have a great time!'

11      

Simon is fifteen and comes from a very large family. With six brothers and sisters and twenty-four cousins, there are an awful lot of people around the house to spend time with. Td say most of my leisure time is spent with my family, just doing different things together.

There are so many of us coming and going from each other's houses all the time, it's like we're always having a party,' Simon says. 'Sure, my friends come round and we hang out sometimes, but usually I'm doing something with someone from my family. We're all really close to each other.'

Task 3. You are going to read an article about being a newspaper reporter. For questions 12- 16, choose from the people (A–D). You may need to use one letter twice.

Which person says:

12. they had a particular advantage when applying for one job?
13. time for research is often limited?
14. their present job is good training for their future career?
15. they find it difficult when they are not permitted to finish something?
16. it is important to take advantage of subject areas you know a lot about?

A Craig. As a reporter, you really have to be ready for anything. A story could come up on a subject you know nothing about and you may have just half an hour to read a report or past stories before you interview someone. I spend most of my time in the office, unfortunately. My advice for potential journalists is that you need to be able to speak to anyone in all walks

of life. A story could come up where the subject is close to your heart but you have to be unbiased and open to other people’s opinions, even if you do not agree with them. Every subject is useful – you need to know a little bit about everything.

B Beth. I would say about 60% of my time is spent inside the office. It is always better to visit someone in their house as it makes for a much better story, but due to time constraints unfortunately this is not always possible. The experience I’m gaining at a local newspaper will set me up for a job on a bigger newspaper. Local newspapers are a great source of news for national newspapers. The general agreement at my newspaper is that the story can be

passed on as long as it has appeared in our paper or on our website first. To be a journalist you must be outgoing and professional, and you also have to ensure accuracy in all stories. You will often find yourself in a situation where you have to generate a conversation with a complete stranger who may not want to speak to you!

C Andrew. My first job was with a regional paper. I think the editor was impressed by the fact that I come from the area and know about local issues. I now work from home on a freelance basis, writing features for the Sunday newspapers. You have to be very self-

motivated and able to generate ideas for new stories all the time. In a good week I’ll sell two or three features to magazines. Some weeks I’ll sell nothing. Journalism isn’t a profession where you progress upwards from one position to the next. I’ve made several moves already but it’s not clear whether they were upwards, downwards or sideways! You need to be prepared to work hard to get work experience, get a qualification and demonstrate your

commitment. If you’re a specialist in anything (sport, music, computer games), write about it.

D Deborah. I had no career plan at all when I graduated – I found work with a very small family-owned paper where I found myself doing all sorts of jobs. While there I decided to train as a journalist. I must be the only person in the universe to ‘fall into’ journalism! A crucial part of my job is building contacts locally. I attend a lot of council meetings to try to find out what is going on with the 15,000 employees and attend numerous other meetings.

Why do I do it? It’s certainly not for the money, which is very poor. I really enjoy seeing my words change things. The frustrations include leaving a story I’m enjoying working on because the editor wants something else.

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (17 - 22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

Studying abroad

Have you always dreamed of traveling, meeting lots of different people, and maybe picking up a language or two? No matter (17)               , you can fly over the world’s highest waterfalls in Venezuela, learn world trade in Japan, study in France, or take dancing lessons in Ghana.

How? You could join a study program abroad, (18)           with a host family in a foreign country. Semester, summer, and year-long programs allow you to attend school, take

intensive language courses, or perform community service in another country. Read on to learn more about study abroad programs.

One of the reasons for studying abroad is (19)          . Christina studied in Caracas, Venezuela, a city of ten million people and a huge change from her hometown of 35,000! Christina says she learned how to be better at standing up for herself and her beliefs, and to express herself in another language.

Although many academic programs abroad have academic requirements, you do not necessarily have to have the highest grades or marks to be eligible and (20)               . Study programs abroad look for students who are independent, self-assured, enjoy having new experiences and meeting different types of people, and can handle challenges.

If you really hate change and don’t like the idea of figuring things out all on your own, then studying abroad may not be for you. It’s important to be honest with yourself and really think about what you expect. You could end up having a miserable time if you don’t! Of course,

(21)           , then studying abroad may be an ideal way to take the plunge.

Are you convinced that a year abroad is for you, but you’re worried that your parents will never go for it? Use some of the points of view (22)               to explain why you want to study overseas. Explain that studying abroad is a chance of a lifetime and that it offers great academic opportunities.

A what country you live in

B that you’ll become more self-assured

C where high-school and college students live

D if you want to change those things about yourself and don’t mind tackling them head on

E that sold you on the idea

F and most do not have language requirements

G what people might say

H dancing all nights at local clubs

Use of English

Task 5. Read the texts below. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Planning an adventure trip

Researching your destination properly will make all aspects of your adventure trip easier, as well as helping you to (23)               the most out of the experience. Research will help you pick the best places to go but you’ll also learn what you need to pack, and also what cultural (and sometimes political) issues you should be (24)               of.

Climate and seasonal pricing are important (25)      in your decision about when to go. For adventure travel, bad weather or weather you’re not (26)               for can ruin the trip. While you can’t predict what the (27)               weather will be, find out as much as you can about the climate in advance.

Translaty

Translaty is a simple yet life-changing Japanese invention that helps you to overcome any obstacles (28)              by foreign languages, whether you (29)              in a business meeting with an international client or chilling somewhere on a Spanish beach.

This small but ingenious device is able to instantly recognize and translate over 40 different languages, making intercultural communication completely effortless! With Translaty you are able to communicate to almost anyone in the world in seconds!

Translaty (30)     to make your life easier as simply as possible - (31)     it's created using the latest technologies, you are not required to have any special knowledge to use this device.

Translaty has more than 40 languages pre-in- stalled so you're able to use it the minute you get it! It provides fast and accurate two-way communication and allows you (32)              some other languages that you might be missing.

Practice test №3

Task 1. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Wildlife cameraman

Doug Allan films wild animals in cold places. If you’ve ever been amazed by footage of polar bears in a nature documentary, it’s probably been filmed by him. His perfect temperature, he says, is -18°C. Allan trained as a marine biologist and commercial diver.

Diving was his first passion, where he learned about survival in cold places. His big break came when a TV crew turned up in Antarctica, where Allan was working, to film a wildlife

documentary. ‘I ended up taking the crew to different places, and after 48 hours I realised that being a wildlife cameraman ticked all the boxes: travel, adventure, underwater.’

He is now a top cameraman and has worked on many major TV wildlife series. ‘I came along at a good time. When I started, hardly anyone had been to the Antarctic. You had coral people, elephant people, chimpanzee people. I just became the cold man. It was like all these amazing sequences were just waiting to be captured on film.’ The camera and communications technology was very basic when he started 35 years ago. ‘It is certainly easier to film today. If you shot something then, you had to remember it. Today, with digital technology, you can shoot a lot and look at it immediately. You used to have to think what shots you needed next, and what you had missed. You shot less. Film was very expensive.

Today you can have too much material.’

‘My value is field experience in cold conditions. I have a feel for it. I have spent so much time on sea ice it now feels like crossing the street. I do get cold toes but the poles are healthy places. There are no leeches, no diseases or mosquitoes.’ Wildlife filming, Allan says, is full of great successes, but also failures and embarrassments. Once, he was in the Orkneys to film kittiwakes. Unfortunately he could not identify which birds they were.

When Allan recently got permission to film sequences for a major TV series in Kong Karls Land, a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean, he did not expect an easy assignment. It is a world of polar bears and is strictly off limits to all but the most fearless or foolish. Usually - 32°C in April, the wind is vicious and hauling cameras in the deep snow is a nightmare. After walking five or more hours a day and watching polar bear dens in the snow slopes for 23 days, however, Allan had seen just one mother bear and her cub. By day 24, though, he says, he was living in bear world, at bear speed, with bear senses.

‘We find a new hole and wait. We shuffle, hop, bend, stretch and run to stay warm. Five hours of watching and then with no warning at all I catch a glimpse so brief that I almost miss it. But the camera’s locked on the hole on full zoom and my eye’s very quickly on the viewfinder. Nothing for a couple of seconds and then an unmistakable black nose. Nose becomes muzzle, grows bigger to become full head and in less than a minute she has her front legs out and is resting on the snow in front of the hole. She’s looking at me but she’s not

bothered. I’ve just taken a close-up, thinking this can’t get much better … when she sets off on a long slide down the slope. I’d swear it’s partly in sheer pleasure,’ he recounts, adding that two cubs then appeared at the den entrance. ‘Clearly it’s their first view of the world … It’s show time on the slopes and we have front-row seats.’

Now Allan would like to make his own film about climate change in the Arctic, talking to the people who live there and experience the impact of it first hand. He says he would be able to make an extraordinary documentary.

1. What do we learn about Allan in the first paragraph?

A He had to train as a diver in order to become a wildlife cameraman.

B Becoming a cameraman suited the interests he already had.

C He was given the chance to work as a cameraman by a TV crew he met.

D Finding work as a cameraman allowed him to remain in Antarctica.

2. What does Allan say about the first documentaries he worked on?

A He has very clear memories of them.

B Most of what he filmed was new to viewers.

C They were shorter than those he makes nowadays.

D He would have liked to have been able to choose where he worked.

3. Why does Allan compare spending time on sea ice to crossing the street?

A It is an ordinary occurrence for him.

B He thinks it presents a similar level of danger.

C He has learnt to approach it in the same way.

D It requires skills that can be used in winter conditions anywhere.

4. When Allan had been on Kong Karls Land for a while, he began to

A stop worrying about the dangers he was facing.

B feel a deep understanding of how polar bears lived.

C get used to the terrible conditions for filming.

D be more hopeful that one bear would lead him to others.

5. What feeling does Allan describe in the fifth paragraph?

A panic when he nearly fails to film a fantastic sequence

B concern that he has disturbed an adult female with her young

C amazement at being lucky enough to capture some great shots

D delight at being able to move around after waiting quietly for ages

Task 2. You are going to read an article about teens at work. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (6-11) of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use

A Working to save

В Helping with the family business

C Learning about the law

D Pet exercise

E Experience leads to success

F Preparing tasty delights!

G An important relationship

H A life with literature

6     

Mara has been in the school swimming team for years, so when a part-time job came up at the pool, she was naturally interested. Now she works part-time teaching children how to swim. 'Since I'm in the pool all the time anyway, I might as well get paid a bit too,' she Laughs. Mara's very good at what she does, and she likes it a lot too. I can remember being afraid of the water when I was little, so I really enjoy helping kids become good swimmers. I understand them and they trust me.

7      

On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, you'll find Mike in the park. Don't look for him on the playing field however; Mike's in a kiosk, working. 'At the weekend the park is busy with people of all ages and I'm here to serve them a drink or a sandwich to keep them going.' Mike's parents have run the kiosk in the park for many years now, so it was only natural for Mike to join them. 'While I'm still a student,' he explains, 'it's a perfect part-time job. I'm usually there all day on Saturday, which is fine for me! My friends stop by and chat, I can watch all the games and I get to enjoy the sunny weather. Well, when it rains I guess it's a little boring, because there aren't many people around. Then I get a little time to read or play video games or something. I don't really mind.'

8     

I have the funniest job in the world,' says Josie, as an enormous Saint Bernard pulls her along the street. Tm a dog walker! It happened quite by accident really. A neighbour asked me once to walk her dog when she was suffering from a cold, then it just became a habit! Other people have seen me on the street and that's how I got more work. I love animals so it's lots of fun. I can hardly believe I get paid for walking other people's dogs, but it really does help them out. Dogs need to get out a lot, and their owners rarely have the time for it. So this is a great way to work it all out. Everybody's happy, especially me and the dogs!'

9     

Sarah used to babysit often, but then she specialized in caring for young babies. 'Most mums won't leave their newborn baby with a babysitter, but they still need help with them. That's where I come in. I've learned all about caring for infants through books, classes and on-the- job training, so I feel very comfortable and confident with them,' she says. This is what new mums want and need, so Sarah's business is booming! She helps take care of three infants right now, visiting their houses for an hour or so whenever the mums need her assistance.

10     

Roy got a job at a nearby car wash to help earn money for university next year. He works at the weekend, drying the cars as they emerge from the car wash. 'It may not be the most exciting job in the world,' he admits, 'but the money is good and the hours are right.' It was the best solution for me at this time. I've made quite a bit of money and I'm looking forward to going away to university next year.'

11       

Scott's a bit of a bookworm, so a part-time job at the public library was ideal for him. His work includes putting books in their proper places on the shelves and helping people find what they're looking for. 'I love books of all kinds, especially the older editions and rare books. When I show them to people in the library I can see that they feel they've made a discovery or something, and that's exciting.' Scott works almost every day after school for a few hours so it doesn't interfere with his schoolwork or time with his friends. It's perfect really,' he says, 'and I get a lot of time to read the books that I like.'

Task 3. You are going to read part of an interview where a whole family was asked to give their views on crime and the law. For questions 12-16, choose from the people (A-E).

Which person:

12. has been a victim of crime?
13. thinks there is not enough police presence on the streets?
14. has considered a career in the police force?
15. would punish violent offenders more severely?
16. has been in trouble with the police?

Family Values - Crime

A Mrs Walford, 38 Well, I’m a good person to ask, aren’t I? I had my purse stolen a month ago. It’s a horrible thing to happen to anyone - you just can’t believe that it’s gone. And then there are all the things you carry with you. I lost some photos of the children when they were babies and they were worth more than the money. The police never found any trace of it. At least I wasn’t hurt - it wasn’t until I got home that I missed it. You can see why they do it. I mean some of these people literally don’t have anything to eat. It’s a terrible existence. I actually feel sorry for them.

В Nan, 62 I can see I brought my daughter up well! She’s very forgiving. More so than me, in fact. I’m in my sixties now and I’m not so steady on my feet as I used to be and, well, I’m terrified of being attacked while I’m out shopping or something. You hear such horrible

stories. But what can the police do? There’s something like one policeman for every three thousand people. They haven’t got a chance! It’s hard enough being an old lady but I

certainly wouldn’t like to be a police officer. Not nowadays.

C Mr Watford, 42 It’s no secret because I talk to the kids about it, but I was once picked up for taking part in a demonstration. It was all very peaceful and I’m not proud of it but I think it’s a good lesson for youngsters to learn. I was lucky in that they dropped the charges and I didn’t end up in court. Still, I don’t consider myself a criminal. I mean, my crime, if you can call it that, was nothing in comparison to what some people get away with. Even if they do

catch somebody, I don’t think a few months in prison is enough really. My family don’t agree with me but I keep reading these stories about executions in America and, when I read what they’ve done, I can’t help thinking they deserve it. If they still had capital punishment over here, I think certain criminals would think twice.

D Paul, 18 A mate of mine once told me that he could get me a pair of expensive trainers for a ridiculously low price. I knew what he was up to so I spent ages talking him out of it. He’s just got into university, so I imagine he’s grateful that I did. Prison is no fun and it only makes you worse. You learn more tricks inside and you have no choice when you come out, so you have to continue with your life of crime. It’s tempting because you see all these things on TV and you can’t afford them, but the police are clever and they’ll get you sooner or later. I’ve thought about joining, actually. I think I’d quite like it. I wonder what they’d say about my dad being a criminal!

E Jennifer, 15 I wouldn’t go as far as Dad but I agree with him up to a point. If you’re attacked, it can be very serious and you might never get over it mentally, even if you recover physically. So I agree with longer prison sentences for people who commit acts of violence. If they knew they’d spend twenty years locked up, then they’d think twice about going out and mugging people. We have to be careful, though, that we don’t let the TV news frighten us. They focus on sensational crimes and it’s not like that everywhere.

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (17 - 22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

‘I often spend day shopping’

Fashion styling is basically about making people look nice. I work on editorial photo shoots, styling models for fashion spreads in magazines and newspapers, (17)              .

A typical day usually starts with me packing up and returning clothes worn at an awards ceremony the night before, then heading out to find new things for my next assignment. If I’m finding clothes for someone new, I’ll call the person first to discuss their likes and

dislikes, (18)         . Then I’ll spend the day shopping and bring back lots of different outfits for them to choose from.

The best thing about my job is shopping. I hope (19)       . Apart from that, it’s the social aspect of the job which is important to me. I work with a big list of people– models, make-up artists, photographers – on various different assignments, and it’s lovely checking in with

them if I haven’t seen them for a few months. You’re collaborating together (20)        , and when things come together, it’s hugely satisfying.

There are a range of skills you need to be a top fashion stylist. It’s not enough to have an artistic eye. You should try (21)              . For example, if you go to gigs, exhibitions and plays, it will inform your work. During a fashion shoot, you have to be hawk-eyed, ready to swoop on any uneven hemlines.

So the reality is (22)        . If you want to be a fashion stylist, get a qualification under your belt – not necessarily a degree in fashion styling, but maybe in design. That will give you a useful range of skills. Then do work experience with a stylist in the most stressful environment possible – probably fashion shoots for a newspaper – so you learn to work under pressure to a deadline.

Try to learn your craft from a stylist you admire, be as professional as you can, and be prepared to do a lot of work for free.

A to make something look gorgeous

B in order to provide extra information

C which helps me to put together a profile

D that doesn’t sound too shallow

E and I also style celebrities for big awards ceremonies

F that it’s a lot of hard work

G to find inspiration in unexpected places

H it is not easy

Use of English

Task 5. Read the texts below. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Deanshouse Hotel

This is a hotel of two halves, with business guests treating themselves to little luxury during the week, while couples enjoy romantic weekend breaks. (23)               it is only minutes away from the busy Deansgate area, this elegant hotel is on a quiet side street, ensuring peace and quiet. A (24)                              schoolhouse, the hotel has kept the theme throughout, with photographs of old pupils on the walls and separate ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ staircases. The owners have also (25)              to retain many original features, but have (27)                            modern touches like rich, deep carpets and large, comfortable beds to the cosy rooms, (27)                everything a luxurious feel. The Oyster Café on the ground floor offers afternoon tea and a selection of tasty dishes.

The Young Crab and his Mother

One day, a young crab and his mother were on the beach, (28)      some time together. The young crab got up to move, but it could only walk sideways. His mother scolded him for walking side- ways and asked him to walk forward by pointing his toes out front. The young crab responded, "I would like to walk forward mom, but I do not know how to".

(29)    this, his mom got up to show him how, but even she was unable (30)     her knees forward. She realized that she was being unfair, apologized (31)              , and

(32)    back in the sand.

Moral: Don't condemn someone for not doing something that you yourself are unable to do.

Practice test №4

Task 1. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Green living

When Jimmy Wellbeck sold his car in favour of commuting by train and cycling two years ago, all his friends promised to support him – not financially, but by taking similar environmentally friendly actions. He also cut down on eating meat, as a personal contribution to reducing the carbon footprint produced by intensive farming, as well as saving energy by doing things like washing clothes at lower temperatures, taking shorter showers and growing more of his own vegetables. In that first year, he calculates, he and his friends have saved over 700 kg of carbon dioxide, not to mention several thousand pounds in a fun and relatively painless way.

The first few months of being car-free were the hardest, Jimmy explains, especially as they were during the arrival of an extremely cold winter. Waiting for trains in the snow was when he most missed his warm car, but slowly his new habits became routine as he adjusted to his new existence. He also greatly appreciated not having to pay for car insurance and petrol.

Jimmy and his friends have now taken their ideas a step further and set up a not-for-profit company, ECO friends. com, which uses social media to help people to help each other in making their lives greener through sharing ideas and suggestions. There are now 2,500 eco friends who have, between them, cut more than 300 tons of CO2 through their activities.

Of course, there are many people who would say that this kind of activity doesn’t make enough of a difference to be worthwhile, but such attitudes never make the world a better place either, claims Jimmy. Some years ago, he went on a trip to Germany where, he says, ideas about green living are already gaining in popularity. On the visit, he learned that the kind of sustainable life he was interested in was perfectly possible, without having to give up all the comforts of life that many people are used to, and that it does make a difference.

A number of organisations with similar objectives to Jimmy’s are all involved in the Make a Start scheme. The aim of Make a Start is to demonstrate just how simple and enjoyable green living, energy saving and self-sufficiency can be. They intend, in the longer term, to put people living in the same streets, apartment blocks and local areas in touch with each other so that they can give each other a helping hand, organise or get involved in community events, as well as get to know their neighbours.

One member, Claire, who lives on a houseboat, is typical of members, saying that the organisation has really helped people like her who, in normal circumstances, would never meet, to get together, creating a strong community feeling. ‘People who live on boats are always keen on finding environmentally friendly solutions to problems, so if one of the members discovers a greener cleaning product, for example, they can just email it to the Make a Start bulletin board,’ she says.

Make a Start showed Claire how to put together a solar-powered electricity system for her boat. It provides enough energy to run her fridge and so saves her money. ‘I had no idea that it was so simple,’ she says. Even her children were able to help out – and so the next generation has already started to get involved.

1.   What do we understand about Jimmy in the first paragraph?

A He wanted to save some money.

B He was interested in changing lifestyles.

C He had decided on a change of career.

D He tried to set an example to his friends.

2.   Jimmy founded ECOfriends.com to

A create a support network for like-minded people.

B allow him to spread his environmental message.

C educate people in living eco-friendly lifestyles.

D help him meet other people with similar interests.

3.     Jimmy believes that attitudes to green living are

A likely to change in future.

B different from country to country.

C often based on incorrect information.

D determined by people’s self-interest.

4.   What is the aim of the Make a Start scheme?

A to create local green projects

B to make green living more fun

C to build political support for green ideas

D to make it easier for people to become green together

5.   In what way is Claire a typical member of Make a Start?

A She lives a typical lifestyle of members.

B She is a frequent participant in online activities.

C She has been able to meet new friends through it.

D She is active in the environmental movement.

Task 2. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (6-11) of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use

1.     Biological warfare in the plant world
2.      Why we cannot use allelopathic chemicals at present
3.      What is allelopathy?
4.     The reasons why plants compete with other plants

5. The effects of allelopathy and realisation of its possible uses
6. Specific examples of allelopathic plants
7. What are metabolites?
8. How could we use allelopathic chemicals in farming?

In forests and fields all over the world, plants are engaged in a deadly chemical war to suppress other plants and create conditions for their own success. Would it be possible to use their strategies and weapons to help us improve agriculture by preventing weeds from germinating and encouraging growth in crops? This possibility is leading agricultural researchers to explore the effects plants have on other plants with the aim of applying their findings to farming.

The phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more chemicals that influence the growth, survival and reproduction of other organisms is called allelopathy. These chemicals are a subset of chemicals produced by organisms called secondary metabolites. A plant's primary metabolites are associated with growth and development. Allelochemicals, however, are part of a plant's defense system and have a secondary function in the life of the organism. The term allelopathy comes from the Greek: allelo and pathy meaning 'mutual harm'.

Allelopathy can be observed in many aspects of plant ecology. It can affect where certain species of plants grow, the fertility of competitor plants, the natural change of plant communities over time, which plant species are able to dominate a particular area, and the diversity of plants in an area. Plants can release allelopathic chemicals in several ways: their roots can release chemicals directly into the soil, and their bark and leaves can release chemicals into the soil as they rot. Initially, scientists were interested in the negative effects of allelopathic chemicals. Observations of the phenomenon included poor growth of some forest trees, damage to crops, changes in vegetation patterns and, interestingly, the occurrence of weed-free areas. It was also realised that some species could have beneficial effects on agricultural crop plants and the possible application of allelopathy became the subject of research.

Today research is focused on the effects of weeds on crops, the effects of crops on weeds, and how certain crops affect other crops. Agricultural scientists are exploring the use of allelochemicals to regulate growth and to act as natural herbicides, thereby promoting sustainable agriculture by using these natural chemicals as an alternative to man-made

chemicals. For example, a small fast-growing tree found in Central America, sometimes called the 'miracle tree', contains a poison that slows the growth of other trees but does not affect its own seeds. Chemicals produced by this tree have been shown to improve the production of rice.

There may be at least three applications of allelopathy to agriculture. Firstly, the allelopathic properties of wild or cultivated plants may be bred into crop plants through genetic modification or traditional breeding methods to improve the release of desired allelochemicals and thus improve crop yield. Secondly, a plant with strong allelopathic properties could be used to control weeds by planting it in rotation with an agricultural crop and then leaving it to rot and become part of the soil in order to inhibit the growth of weeds. Finally, naturally occurring allelopathic chemicals could be used in combination with man- made chemicals, which could be better for the environment.

Despite the promising uses of allelopathic chemicals, agricultural scientists are still cautious. Firstly, allelopathic chemicals may break down and disappear in the soil more easily than artificial chemicals. Secondly, allelopathic chemicals may be harmful to plants other than weeds. Thirdly, allelopathic chemicals could persist in the soil for a long time and may affect crops grown in the same field as the allelopathic plants at a later date. Because the effects of allelopathic chemicals are not yet fully known, agricultural scientists will need to continue to study the biological war between plants.

Task 3. You are going to read an article about an unusual species of fish. For questions 12- 16, choose from options (A-E).

Which section mentions

12.   an almost unique physical feature?
13.   a possible misinterpretation of a phrase?
14.   an unexpected discovery?
15.   a lack of knowledge?
16.   an idea that was disproved?

The coelacanth

A The coelacanth is a deep-water sea fish, sometimes known as the ‘living fossil’, which has remained unchanged in appearance since before dinosaurs ruled the world. It is known to live in sea caves deep beneath the Indian Ocean, but was previously only known in fossils, the youngest of which were over 70 million years old. It was something of a surprise to scientists when one was netted by a fisherman in 1938.

B It was the 19th-century British scientist Charles Darwin who first used the expression

‘living fossil’ to mean any animal that had been able to survive unchanged since prehistory. Modern scientists, however, say that this term is sometimes unhelpful as people may get the impression that it refers to a dead species that scientists have somehow brought back to life. The coelacanth is not a fossil, but a living creature, living in the same world as us.

C A fully grown coelacanth can reach 1.5 metres long. They have fins that often remind people of the legs of land animals. They have backbones like those of frogs and lizards. These factors, plus their extremely long existence on Earth, have previously led some to believe that they might be connected in some way to those first fish that made the great leap from sea creatures to land-based life. Until recently, scientists were unsure whether the coelacanth has remained so unchanged because it truly was evolving slowly, or whether in fact its DNA was actually developing in just the same way, and at the same rate, as other species.

D When finally studied scientifically, coelacanth DNA did show that it has changed no more quickly than the fish’s external appearance, say scientists in a new report. The coelacanth DNA has the slowest rate of what is known as ‘substitution’ compared to most animals with similar physical features, such as backbones. This may be a reflection of the fact that they had no real need to change because they live in an environment that has not itself altered a great deal, and where the coelacanth has no natural enemies.

E Scientists often discuss the way certain species have developed over the ages, but there still remain a number of locations where the wildlife is not forced to evolve and the

coelacanth’s caves is one of them. They are simply highly adapted to living in such an extreme situation. Why would it need to change anything about itself? Scientists carrying out the DNA examination also learned that coelacanths were, in fact, unlikely to be closely related to the first fish to move on to land. The lungfish is now thought to be the most likely contender for this particular prize. They are related to the coelacanth, but their DNA is far more complex, say scientists.

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (17 - 22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

David and Ben had a long journey, over ten kilometres on foot every day, (17)        . In the end, though, this particular distance might be the basis for something unexpected. David looks set to become another of Kenya’s famous long-distance runners, coming second in the 10,000 metres at the recent Paris games, (18)              .

Now, another group of students from the same school has to make the same daily journey. They have, however, been encouraged by the success of David and Ben, (19)              . For at least one of them, achieving sporting success is only part of the picture. Like David and

Ben, 17-year-old Moses also faces a ten-kilometre journey to school, and his schedule would amaze (20)              .

His day starts with him preparing his own breakfast at five o’clock, before setting out on his journey, and he aims to arrive at school by seven o’clock in the morning. Moreover, he has to deal with hazards most children never experience. Part of the journey takes him through a forest, (21)              . The majority of the way is along muddy roads, with the further

danger of flooded rivers. Occasionally the bridges he needs to cross are under water or even swept away.

On such days, he stays at home. On a bad day, this might mean going several kilometres before he even realises he can’t go any further. He then has to go all the way back. He

doesn’t give up, though. He is driven on by his desire to get a good education and has ambitions to become a doctor one day. According to Moses, (22)              . The romantic idea of the Olympic stars developing their skills on their school journey is misleading.

A while his brother was third in the same race

B in their motherland

C when they were at school in northern Kenya

D many of those used to catching the bus or being driven to the school gates by parents

E where wild animals, some very dangerous, live

F who are always late for school

G there is nothing much good about his journey to work

H but with a difference

Use of English

Task 5. Read the texts below. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

As a writer, Monica’s large office desk is central to her life. It has been her constant companion wherever she has lived, and one of the (23)               when buying her current house was having enough space to fit it in; even so, it takes (24)                                          half of her office. At the moment, it is surrounded by old books either written or set in the 1920s. She is writing a historical novel, and this is how she finds her (25)                             for the period. The walls are covered in art and the rest of the room is full of plants. A big bowl of fruit

(26)          she doesn’t have to break off to eat something. The house is so old that the wind and rain sometimes come in, forcing her into hiding in the basement. This hasn’t been painted for nearly a century, so she feels quite at home there – at (27)               until her present book is finished.

……..

The christening over, the procession went back to the castle, past the waiting rows of bystanders, not one of whom (28)              his place or gone away, so superb had been the spectacle.

The christening banquet (29) in the great hall of the castle, and, thanks to the Court Astrologer, things went off beautifully. It was the only large banquet ever known in the history of the world where courses (30)                            all at one time, and while one person was finishing an ice, another was not beginning with the soup. Nor was the menu mixed, which

(31)          so frequently to-day that you are apt to have soup, ice, cake, roast, soup, and a roast again. No, from soup to ice the banquet was a huge success; but, (32)              , disaster came with the strawberry-tart.

……..

Practice test №5

Task 1. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Pen Hadow – polar explorer

In 2004, Pen Hadow became the first person to trek to the North Pole alone, without being resupplied on the way. That meant swimming through unimaginably cold waters, fighting frostbite and risking encounters with polar bears. Just eight months later, he made a similar trip to the South Pole. Now he is back in the Arctic again, preparing for an expedition he says is even more ambitious. Explorers are confident, driven individuals. They have to be. This time, however, there is far more at stake. Pen and two colleagues will set out on a three- month, 1,000-kilometre trek to the North Pole, taking detailed measurements of the thickness and density of the ice. Nobody has ever done this before, and he knows the results will be of vital importance to the scientific community. This will be the truest picture yet of what global warming is doing to the ice that covers the polar region.

Pen is married to Mary, a horsewoman, who says he has a ‘spine of steel’ and who shares his love of the outdoors. She helps to run his polar guide business and claims to be more worried about him when he’s at home: ‘He’s in more danger driving along the motorway because I know that in his head he’s somewhere in the Arctic.’ For fun, she once competed against him in a famous mountain event in which riders on horseback race against people on foot. Mary and her horse finished an hour ahead of Pen.

Pen and Mary live in the country with their two children. ‘It’s much harder to be away from them this time,’ he admits. ‘They were one and five when I last went, and I made a mistake in the way I said goodbye. I thought it would be a good idea to say to my son, “You’re the man of the house now, look after your mum and your sister.” He absolutely took it to heart, asking his mum how she was all the time, but the strain eventually became too much. While it was well intentioned, it was an unfair thing to do.’ For similar reasons he is planning to

have very little contact with them while in the Arctic. ‘If you call them, you remind them how far away you are.’

He is spending these last days before departure preparing his kit, obsessively. ‘Out on the ice, one is virtually incapable of mending things or doing anything that isn’t absolutely

straightforward,’ he says. With him will be Ann Daniels, one of the world’s leading polar explorers, and the expedition photographer, Martin Hartley. They will be supported by a crew of six, flying in supplies. Being part of a team is actually more stressful to someone with his mentality, says Pen, and something else is on his mind too. ‘I’m going to be 47 on Thursday. I’ve done far less training than I’m comfortable with.’ Why? ‘Organisational things always seem more urgent. So I’m almost fearful of what I’m going to ask of myself.’

Pen believes his mission reconnects exploration with the search for knowledge that drove previous generations into the unknown. ‘Making it to the North Pole was ultimately a

personal ambition,’ he admits, ‘and of limited value to anyone beyond the polar adventuring community. This time, scientists will profit from the data, and we’re creating a platform in which to engage as many people as possible in what’s happening in the Arctic Ocean. This is important work, and nobody can do it but us,’ he says. ‘Our skills, which are otherwise bizarre and socially redundant, have become hyper-relevant. Suddenly, we’re socially useful again.’

1.   In the first paragraph, what do we learn about Pen Hadow’s opinion of the new expedition?

A He feels certain that it will be successful.

B He thinks it may be harder than his previous journeys.

C He is aware of the huge significance of its aims.

D He is looking forward to the scientific work it will involve.

2.   What does Mary Hadow think about her husband?

A He isn’t as determined as she is.

B He can’t run as quickly as he thinks he can.

C He hasn’t got enough time to manage his business properly.

D He finds it hard to think about anything except his expeditions.

3.   When talking about leaving his children for long periods, Pen mentions feeling A ashamed that his wife has had to look after them so much.

B guilty that he once added to the pressure caused by his absence.

C sad that he is missing so much of their growing up.

D sorry that he can’t telephone more often.

4.   What does ‘took it to heart’ mean in the third paragraph?

A He memorised his father’s words.

B He carried out his father’s words precisely.

C He started to feel unwell.

D He was afraid of the responsibility.

5.   What is worrying Pen about the new expedition?

A whether he will still be fit enough to take part

B whether he will be mentally prepared

C whether the equipment will work properly in icy conditions

D whether the arrangements he has made will turn out well

Task 2. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (6-11) of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use

1.     How fragile X syndrome was discovered
2.      The genetic basis of fragile X syndrome
3.      Fragile X syndrome and developmental delays in the brain
4.     The comparative frequency of fragile X syndrome

5. Research into understanding fragile X syndrome
6. Reasons for the increase of fragile X syndrome
7. Other conditions related to cognitive development
8. Examples of the symptoms of Fragile X syndrome

A condition that causes children to dislike being hugged and sometimes reject all physical affection is closer to being understood following research into the part of the brain responsible for our senses. Scientists at Northwestern University, Illinois, and the University of Edinburgh explored fragile X syndrome, a condition associated with hypersensitivity to sounds, touch, smells and visual stimuli that can result in social withdrawal or anxiety.

Hypersensitivity is a condition in which the person affected responds in an excessive way to contact with the world around them. Some sufferers are even hypersensitive to material on their skin.

The scientists found that critical phases in the brain's development may be wrongly timed in people with the condition. This may result in delayed communication between certain neurons in the brain. By recording electrical signals in the brains of mice, bred to exactly copy the effects of the condition, the researchers found that connections in the brain's sensory cortex were late to develop fully. The study, published in the journal Neuron, found that normal neural connections in the sensory cortex occur much earlier than previously thought: in the first week of pregnancy in mice, which is equivalent to the middle of the second trimester (or fifth month) of pregnancy in humans. In fragile X syndrome, the mistiming also has a domino effect, causing further problems with the correct wiring of the brain. The hope is that by understanding how and when the functions of the brain are affected in fragile X syndrome, a therapy may become possible.

'There is a "critical period" during development, when the brain is very plastic and is changing rapidly,' said Anis Contractor, from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. 'All the elements of this rapid development have to be coordinated so that the brain becomes wired correctly and therefore functions properly.' People with the syndrome have cognitive problems as well as sensory problems that make them physically weaker. 'They have tactile defensiveness,' Dr Contractor said. 'They don't look in people's eyes, they won't hug their parents, and they are hypersensitive to touch and sound. All of this causes anxiety for family and friends as well as for the fragile X patients themselves.' Peter Kind, who led the study at the University of Edinburgh, said: 'We know there are key windows during which the brain develops, both in the womb and afterwards. The general

principle is that if these time windows have shifted, then that could explain the cognitive problems.'

Professor Kind said that this could be demonstrated by the fact that a child with a cataract (a medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes less and less transparent) that was not corrected would become permanently blind in the affected eye, whereas an adult would be able to regain their sight after an operation. 'We've learnt that these changes happen much earlier than previously thought, which gives valuable insight into when we should begin therapeutic intervention for people with these conditions,' he said. 'It also has implications for the treatment of autism since the changes in the brains of people with fragile X syndrome and autistic people are thought to significantly overlap.' Autism, as many people know, is a disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they make sense of the world.

Fragile X syndrome is as common as cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that commonly affects the lungs and causes breathing difficulties, and that affects about 1 in 4,000 males and 1 in 8,000 females worldwide. The Fragile X Society believes that there are many people who have the fragile X syndrome but have never been diagnosed. It shows up in early infancy and progressively worsens throughout childhood, causing intellectual disability as well as social, language and behavioural problems.

Fragile X syndrome is caused by a gene mutation on the X chromosome - one of the two chromosomes that determine the gender or sex of a person. The mutation interferes in the production of a protein called fragile X mental retardation protein. Fragile X is so-named because the X chromosome appears broken or kinked. Tim Potter, of the Fragile X Society, said: 'We welcome any research that helps us understand fragile X and which may open the way to reversing the effects or preventing them ever happening.'

Task 3. You are going to read an article about the Italian painter Canaletto. For questions 12- 16, choose from sections (A-E).

In which section does the writer

12. suggest why Canaletto’s work was less appreciated in his home city than elsewhere?
13. give examples of how Canaletto tricks the viewer in his pictures?
14. claim that Canaletto’s paintings contain a kind of historical record of Venice?
15. tell us where Canaletto worked on the composition of his pictures?
16. describe different artistic reactions to Venice?

Canaletto and Venice

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, even though, he always painted in his 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.

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each space (17 - 22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

No doubt about it, inline skating is one of the world’s most popular street sports. Different people call it different things. Rollerblade was the original American skate manufacturer and that’s why many call it rollerblading. Others shorten this to blading, (17)              .

The very popularity of the sport everywhere has created something of a problem. The ‘Ban all Skaters’ group, (18)              , has never been far behind. In some areas it has been successful in implementing notorious and strict skating prohibitions, such as the closure of most of London’s parks to skaters. No matter – people will keep on skating wherever they can.

The difficulty lies in changing the attitude of established local authorities, which are so often dominated by older people (19)              , don’t want anything to do with it, and simply dismiss the sport as a branch of the current youth culture they can do without.

We know they are wrong. Inline skating is not just about kids (20)        . It is a sport which offers everyone a brilliant way to get up off the couch, whizz around outside, have fun, get fit, get involved, develop skills and learn team-work.

Kids as young as five or six can learn to skate well. What’s more, with all the right padding and protection, adults can start to skate safely at an age (21)              . And in between those two extremes skating is no less important as a way for those in their teen years to avoid the trap of urban boredom, (22)              .

A who have no concept of the joy of inline skating

B which is made up of opponents of the sport

C is most of the players

D while still others prefer inline skating (because the wheels on each skate are in line)

E when they are collecting their pensions

F whose wishes can be ignored

G which there are retired

H which can create problems in contemporary society

Use of English

Task 5. Read the texts below. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

A medical miracle?

It can reduce your risk of health problems, improve mental capacity and (23)           the country by helping to cut the amount we (24)               on health services. Furthermore, it’s simple to take, works immediately, (25)                             no harmful ingredients and

there’s no need to (26)            it with a doctor before you get some. What is it?

Exercise – the miracle cure we’re continually trying to find, but which we’ve always had right under our noses. For some reason, we often forget to (27)               time for this particular medicine and our health suffers the consequences.

The Prince was (28)        with great care; and, as soon as he could speak, they told him all sorts of dreadful stories about people who had short noses. No one was allowed to come near him (29)              nose did not more or less resemble his own, and the courtiers, to get into favor with the Queen, took to (30)              their babies’ noses several times every day to make them grow long. But, do what they would, they were nothing by comparison with the (31)                                          .

When he (32)           sensible he learned history; and whenever any great prince or beautiful princess was spoken of, his teachers took care to tell him that they had long noses.