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.

 KEYS:

1.  С

2.  D

3.  B

4.  B

5.  A

6.  E

7.  C

8.  H

9.  G

10. D

11. B

12. C

13. E

14. B

15. D

16. A

17. D

18. B

19. A

20. F

21. E

22. H

23. C

24. B

25. A

26. C

27. C

28. B

29. C

30. A

31. D

   32. B