Control listening

Read the article and answer the following questions. Choose a, b, or c

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

People love gadgets. In today’s modern world, it seems like there is a gadget for everything. Gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and you can control almost everything you need right from your hand. The following are a couple of the most popular gadgets that people are crazy about.

KINDLE

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic reading device created by amazon.com in 2007. The Kindle is about the same size of a small paperback, but the big difference is that, instead of having only one book with you, in this gadget you can store around 1500 or 3500 books, depending on which model you have. Users can purchase the ‘book’, or file of the book’s text from Amazon’s website for a small fee. You download the file and load it on your Kindle. At first, there were only around 80,000 digital titles available for downloading but today, there are over 300,000. Users can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers for a monthly fee, some as low as 0.92 euros per month. The Kindle has got web capabilities, so users can surf the Net while reading, as well as listen to MP3s. Today, many authors are promoting the Kindle by releasing chapters of their novels or entire novels for free to download for a Kindle device. In this way, the Kindle online store is becoming a lot like the iTunes store, with its special promotions and features.

FLIP VIDEO

The Flip Video is a very small digital camcorder made by Pure Digital Technologies. The earliest model of the Flip Video came out in 2006, but the Flip Ultra, released in 2007, is much more well-known. The Flip Ultra is popular because it is so small and light which makes it extremely easy to carry. The camera also comes in a variety of colours and has got many accessories, including an underwater case (for shooting underwater video), a tripod and even a bicycle helmet attachment for those who want to shoot a video while cycling. Some models come in High Definition format and use recyclable batteries, while other models use regular AA batteries. Each camera has a hidden USB stick that pops out to connect it with a computer easily, eliminating the need for any cables or wires. Depending on which model you choose, you can have a storage space of up to 8 gigabytes, which allows for several hours of video footage. Flip Videos are popular because they are so easy to use and are compatible with many online networking sites and video-sharing sites like YouTube. Gadgets like these show us that the wave of the future will be controlled right from our hands.

Task (завдання):

Which of the sentences is true about the Amazon Kindle?

Read the article and answer the following questions. Choose a, b, or c

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

People love gadgets. In today’s modern world, it seems like there is a gadget for everything. Gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and you can control almost everything you need right from your hand. The following are a couple of the most popular gadgets that people are crazy about.

KINDLE

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic reading device created by amazon.com in 2007. The Kindle is about the same size of a small paperback, but the big difference is that, instead of having only one book with you, in this gadget you can store around 1500 or 3500 books, depending on which model you have. Users can purchase the ‘book’, or file of the book’s text from Amazon’s website for a small fee. You download the file and load it on your Kindle. At first, there were only around 80,000 digital titles available for downloading but today, there are over 300,000. Users can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers for a monthly fee, some as low as 0.92 euros per month. The Kindle has got web capabilities, so users can surf the Net while reading, as well as listen to MP3s. Today, many authors are promoting the Kindle by releasing chapters of their novels or entire novels for free to download for a Kindle device. In this way, the Kindle online store is becoming a lot like the iTunes store, with its special promotions and features.

FLIP VIDEO

The Flip Video is a very small digital camcorder made by Pure Digital Technologies. The earliest model of the Flip Video came out in 2006, but the Flip Ultra, released in 2007, is much more well-known. The Flip Ultra is popular because it is so small and light which makes it extremely easy to carry. The camera also comes in a variety of colours and has got many accessories, including an underwater case (for shooting underwater video), a tripod and even a bicycle helmet attachment for those who want to shoot a video while cycling. Some models come in High Definition format and use recyclable batteries, while other models use regular AA batteries. Each camera has a hidden USB stick that pops out to connect it with a computer easily, eliminating the need for any cables or wires. Depending on which model you choose, you can have a storage space of up to 8 gigabytes, which allows for several hours of video footage. Flip Videos are popular because they are so easy to use and are compatible with many online networking sites and video-sharing sites like YouTube. Gadgets like these show us that the wave of the future will be controlled right from our hands.

Task (завдання):

What does the word its in the last line refer to? 

Read the article and answer the following questions. Choose a, b, or c

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

People love gadgets. In today’s modern world, it seems like there is a gadget for everything. Gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and you can control almost everything you need right from your hand. The following are a couple of the most popular gadgets that people are crazy about.

KINDLE

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic reading device created by amazon.com in 2007. The Kindle is about the same size of a small paperback, but the big difference is that, instead of having only one book with you, in this gadget you can store around 1500 or 3500 books, depending on which model you have. Users can purchase the ‘book’, or file of the book’s text from Amazon’s website for a small fee. You download the file and load it on your Kindle. At first, there were only around 80,000 digital titles available for downloading but today, there are over 300,000. Users can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers for a monthly fee, some as low as 0.92 euros per month. The Kindle has got web capabilities, so users can surf the Net while reading, as well as listen to MP3s. Today, many authors are promoting the Kindle by releasing chapters of their novels or entire novels for free to download for a Kindle device. In this way, the Kindle online store is becoming a lot like the iTunes store, with its special promotions and features.

FLIP VIDEO

The Flip Video is a very small digital camcorder made by Pure Digital Technologies. The earliest model of the Flip Video came out in 2006, but the Flip Ultra, released in 2007, is much more well-known. The Flip Ultra is popular because it is so small and light which makes it extremely easy to carry. The camera also comes in a variety of colours and has got many accessories, including an underwater case (for shooting underwater video), a tripod and even a bicycle helmet attachment for those who want to shoot a video while cycling. Some models come in High Definition format and use recyclable batteries, while other models use regular AA batteries. Each camera has a hidden USB stick that pops out to connect it with a computer easily, eliminating the need for any cables or wires. Depending on which model you choose, you can have a storage space of up to 8 gigabytes, which allows for several hours of video footage. Flip Videos are popular because they are so easy to use and are compatible with many online networking sites and video-sharing sites like YouTube. Gadgets like these show us that the wave of the future will be controlled right from our hands.

Task (завдання):

Why is the Flip Ultra more well-known than other models of Flip Video?

Read the article and answer the following questions. Choose a, b, or c

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

People love gadgets. In today’s modern world, it seems like there is a gadget for everything. Gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and you can control almost everything you need right from your hand. The following are a couple of the most popular gadgets that people are crazy about.

KINDLE

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic reading device created by amazon.com in 2007. The Kindle is about the same size of a small paperback, but the big difference is that, instead of having only one book with you, in this gadget you can store around 1500 or 3500 books, depending on which model you have. Users can purchase the ‘book’, or file of the book’s text from Amazon’s website for a small fee. You download the file and load it on your Kindle. At first, there were only around 80,000 digital titles available for downloading but today, there are over 300,000. Users can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers for a monthly fee, some as low as 0.92 euros per month. The Kindle has got web capabilities, so users can surf the Net while reading, as well as listen to MP3s. Today, many authors are promoting the Kindle by releasing chapters of their novels or entire novels for free to download for a Kindle device. In this way, the Kindle online store is becoming a lot like the iTunes store, with its special promotions and features.

FLIP VIDEO

The Flip Video is a very small digital camcorder made by Pure Digital Technologies. The earliest model of the Flip Video came out in 2006, but the Flip Ultra, released in 2007, is much more well-known. The Flip Ultra is popular because it is so small and light which makes it extremely easy to carry. The camera also comes in a variety of colours and has got many accessories, including an underwater case (for shooting underwater video), a tripod and even a bicycle helmet attachment for those who want to shoot a video while cycling. Some models come in High Definition format and use recyclable batteries, while other models use regular AA batteries. Each camera has a hidden USB stick that pops out to connect it with a computer easily, eliminating the need for any cables or wires. Depending on which model you choose, you can have a storage space of up to 8 gigabytes, which allows for several hours of video footage. Flip Videos are popular because they are so easy to use and are compatible with many online networking sites and video-sharing sites like YouTube. Gadgets like these show us that the wave of the future will be controlled right from our hands

Task (завдання):

How do the various Flip Ultra models differ?

Read the article and answer the following questions. Choose a, b, or c

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

People love gadgets. In today’s modern world, it seems like there is a gadget for everything. Gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and you can control almost everything you need right from your hand. The following are a couple of the most popular gadgets that people are crazy about.

KINDLE

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic reading device created by amazon.com in 2007. The Kindle is about the same size of a small paperback, but the big difference is that, instead of having only one book with you, in this gadget you can store around 1500 or 3500 books, depending on which model you have. Users can purchase the ‘book’, or file of the book’s text from Amazon’s website for a small fee. You download the file and load it on your Kindle. At first, there were only around 80,000 digital titles available for downloading but today, there are over 300,000. Users can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers for a monthly fee, some as low as 0.92 euros per month. The Kindle has got web capabilities, so users can surf the Net while reading, as well as listen to MP3s. Today, many authors are promoting the Kindle by releasing chapters of their novels or entire novels for free to download for a Kindle device. In this way, the Kindle online store is becoming a lot like the iTunes store, with its special promotions and features.

FLIP VIDEO

The Flip Video is a very small digital camcorder made by Pure Digital Technologies. The earliest model of the Flip Video came out in 2006, but the Flip Ultra, released in 2007, is much more well-known. The Flip Ultra is popular because it is so small and light which makes it extremely easy to carry. The camera also comes in a variety of colours and has got many accessories, including an underwater case (for shooting underwater video), a tripod and even a bicycle helmet attachment for those who want to shoot a video while cycling. Some models come in High Definition format and use recyclable batteries, while other models use regular AA batteries. Each camera has a hidden USB stick that pops out to connect it with a computer easily, eliminating the need for any cables or wires. Depending on which model you choose, you can have a storage space of up to 8 gigabytes, which allows for several hours of video footage. Flip Videos are popular because they are so easy to use and are compatible with many online networking sites and video-sharing sites like YouTube. Gadgets like these show us that the wave of the future will be controlled right from our hands

Task (завдання):

Why do people like using the Flip Videos?

Read the texts and write C for Carrie, J for John, D for Daniel, or N for none.

WACKY PHOBIAS! WACKY PHOBIAS!

We asked and you responded: tell us your strangest phobias! We know a lot of people are afraid of heights or closed spaces, but what are some really weird things to be afraid of?

Carrie – Selachophobia

Ever since I was little I have been afraid of sharks. I know that a lot of people are afraid of sharks, and that’s not a strange phobia, but I am actually just afraid of pictures of sharks. I can’t open a National Geographic or any other wildlife magazine without getting nervous. It’s even worse when the shark has its mouth open in the picture. I feel like the shark can still bite me. One time, while I was reading a magazine in the library, I turned the page and there was a big picture of a shark! The worst part is that when my hand turned the page, my fingers were actually touching the picture. I screamed and threw the magazine across the room. Everybody laughed and I was really embarrassed. Oddly enough, sharks in aquariums or zoos don’t bother me at all. 

John - Koumpounophobia

I am absolutely terrified of buttons. I don’t mind wooden buttons or something like that, it’s the plastic ones I can’t stand. Unfortunately, most of the buttons out there are made of plastic. I can’t look at them, I hate touching them, I don’t even like talking about them! Most people think it’s really hard to live without buttons, but it’s actually not. I dress quite casually anyway, so I just wear T-shirts and stuff. It used to really upset me as a child, watching my grandma sew a button on a shirt. She would always hold it in her mouth, as she was getting ready to sew it on. That used to drive me crazy! I thought it was the most disgusting thing in the world! The worst is when I see a button that has a little bit of the thread that’s loose and hanging down. That makes me want to run out of the room!

Daniel - Oneirophobia

Have you ever known anyone who was afraid to go to sleep? Well, now you have! That’s a little misleading though, as I’m not actually afraid of sleeping, I’m afraid of dreaming. It’s not like I’m afraid of nightmares or something, I just don’t like the idea of dreaming at all. It feels like you completely lose control of your own mind when you’re dreaming, and I don’t like that, even if it’s a good dream. Usually, when I go to bed and I feel myself starting to fall asleep, I get a panic attack, and my heart starts racing. Sometimes I even feel like I will be sick! It is a serious problem, because it’s very unhealthy to go without sleep. I’ve tried everything to make myself really tired when I try to sleep, drinking warm milk, herbal sleeping aids, even therapy! A friend suggested hypnotherapy, so I think I will try that. I really do want to sleep, it’s just impossible. 

Task (завдання):

 My phobia is food-related. 

Read the text again and mark the following statements as T (true) or F (false).

AN EXTREME SPORT THAT HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF

So many extreme sports have become popular in recent decades that it seems that danger and adrenaline are addictive, and people are constantly looking for new and more exciting ways to experience them. One of the latest extreme sports to become established is a combination of two sports which lots of people consider to be risky in themselves – skiing and paragliding. Speed riding involves descending a mountain on skis at high speed while attached to a parachute-like wing. Using this, the rider can fly over any steep, rocky or otherwise difficult terrain. There are no rules as to when you use your skis and when you pull the cords on your harness and take to the sky, and neither are there any official speed riding routes. In fact, speed riders are generally not allowed to pursue their hobby alongside skiers on the pistes at ski resorts. They need to make their way instead to the highest, wildest places that nature can offer. Even so, the sport has spread from its birthplace in the French Alps as far as Japan, New Zealand and Argentina, with thousands of people taking part in it and dozens of organisations around the world offering instruction in it.

The sport is well-named, as speed riders can reach speeds of 100km per hour on their way down the mountains. But don’t think they go so fast purely for thrills; strange as it may seem, on the most demanding mountains it’s vital to maintain a high speed for safety reasons. That’s because if speed riders slow down too much, their wings fall down and become useless – leaving them with nothing but their skis for getting past whatever obstacles lie ahead, from cliffs to avalanches.

Obviously, experience of both paragliding and skiing is an advantage if you want to take up this growing sport. You can try speed riding if you’ve never paraglided, but you’re unlikely to find someone willing to teach you speed riding if you’re not a competent skier. You need to have enough skill to land smoothly and safely after being airborne.

Unfortunately around 30 speed riders – all of them highly experienced – have lost their lives doing the sport since it became popular in the early 2000s. Several of the fatal accidents were due to sudden poor site conditions – such as fierce winds – or equipment failure, but most of the riders simply lost control of their descent.

There are very few places around the world that teach speed riding.  

READING

Read the text

Becky was visiting Aunt Agatha at her house at the beach. It was a beautiful summer day. Becky had built a giant sand castle that morning. Aunt Agatha took pictures of the castle to send to Becky’s parents. It was a great big sand castle. Later that morning, Becky and Aunt Agatha went swimming in the ocean. It was fun to jump with the waves. Then, they went in the house and ate sandwiches and strawberries for lunch.

Becky wanted to play on the beach that afternoon. Aunt Agatha told her it was too hot to go outside without a hat on. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry, she could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it had a big bow in the back that was too long for Becky. The green hat was too fancy for Becky. She did not like that hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had an ugly bird on it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a perfect hat for the beach. It was too big for Becky’s head but she didn’t care. It was a great hat.

Answer the following questions

1. Where was Becky?

Read the text

Becky was visiting Aunt Agatha at her house at the beach. It was a beautiful summer day. Becky had built a giant sand castle that morning. Aunt Agatha took pictures of the castle to send to Becky’s parents. It was a great big sand castle. Later that morning, Becky and Aunt Agatha went swimming in the ocean. It was fun to jump with the waves. Then, they went in the house and ate sandwiches and strawberries for lunch.

Becky wanted to play on the beach that afternoon. Aunt Agatha told her it was too hot to go outside without a hat on. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry, she could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it had a big bow in the back that was too long for Becky. The green hat was too fancy for Becky. She did not like that hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had an ugly bird on it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a perfect hat for the beach. It was too big for Becky’s head but she didn’t care. It was a great hat.

Answer the following questions

Why didn’t Becky want to wear the pink hat?

Read the text

Becky was visiting Aunt Agatha at her house at the beach. It was a beautiful summer day. Becky had built a giant sand castle that morning. Aunt Agatha took pictures of the castle to send to Becky’s parents. It was a great big sand castle. Later that morning, Becky and Aunt Agatha went swimming in the ocean. It was fun to jump with the waves. Then, they went in the house and ate sandwiches and strawberries for lunch.

Becky wanted to play on the beach that afternoon. Aunt Agatha told her it was too hot to go outside without a hat on. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry, she could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it had a big bow in the back that was too long for Becky. The green hat was too fancy for Becky. She did not like that hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had an ugly bird on it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a perfect hat for the beach. It was too big for Becky’s head but she didn’t care. It was a great hat.

Answer the following questions

Why did Becky like the brown hat?

A cap-hawker

    Ratan was a cap-hawker. He went from village to village and sold caps. He always wore one of his caps himself to show people how nice and bright it was. People liked his nice red caps and often bought them. On his way, one afternoon, Ratan lied down under a tree to have some rest. He put his basket with caps at his side, and soon fell asleep. Some monkeys on the tree saw the sleeping hawker and his basket with caps. The monkeys were curious. One by one, they came down and took a cap from the basket. As the sleeping hawker had a cap on his head, the monkeys put the caps on their heads too. When Ratan awoke, he saw no caps in his basket. He was surprised. Then he looked up and saw that many monkeys on the tree had his caps on. Ratan was very angry and wanted to get his caps back. He thought, “If I shout at the monkeys, they will run away. But I know that monkeys like to imitate.”

    Then Ratan took off his bright red cap and threw it on the ground. Ratan’s trick worked. The monkeys imitated him and began to throw their caps on the ground. Ratan quickly picked up all his caps, put them into his basket and went to the next village. “Quick wit is better than imitation,” he said to himself.

Task 1. True or False?

1.   Ratan sold caps in his shop. 

A cap-hawker

    Ratan was a cap-hawker. He went from village to village and sold caps. He always wore one of his caps himself to show people how nice and bright it was. People liked his nice red caps and often bought them. On his way, one afternoon, Ratan lied down under a tree to have some rest. He put his basket with caps at his side, and soon fell asleep. Some monkeys on the tree saw the sleeping hawker and his basket with caps. The monkeys were curious. One by one, they came down and took a cap from the basket. As the sleeping hawker had a cap on his head, the monkeys put the caps on their heads too. When Ratan awoke, he saw no caps in his basket. He was surprised. Then he looked up and saw that many monkeys on the tree had his caps on. Ratan was very angry and wanted to get his caps back. He thought, “If I shout at the monkeys, they will run away. But I know that monkeys like to imitate.”

    Then Ratan took off his bright red cap and threw it on the ground. Ratan’s trick worked. The monkeys imitated him and began to throw their caps on the ground. Ratan quickly picked up all his caps, put them into his basket and went to the next village. “Quick wit is better than imitation,” he said to himself.

2. Ratan seldom wore his caps himself.