Reading Comprehension 10 (II term)

 Read the texts below. Match choices (A-H) to (1-5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

1 ____________

Some people need total quiet, while others can study well with music in the background. The key is to find a comfortable place and study there regularly, such as a kitchen table, a desk, a favorite chair, a bed, etc.

2 _____________

Study a little every night instead of cramming late the night before the test. A good night’s sleep helps. Bleary eyes and a tired body do not.

3 _____________

In the department store aisles, there are boxes and boxes of binders, folders and organizational tools. For every class, prepare a binder, a folder or a notebook. There should be a place for class notes, handouts and homework assignments. Some of the larger binders can accommodate all classes. It is really a matter of personal choice; just keep papers separated by class.

4 _____________

One great way to study is to make a list of the important information from a chapter and write it in your own words. Copy down any words that are written in bold or in italics. Look at chapter headings, section headings and review sections at the end of a chapter for other important information to add to your study guide. Merge this information with class notes.

5 ____________

Studying takes time and effort. Get organized, ask for help and put forth effort into improving your study habits now. The lessons taught in middle school are building blocks for high school and college. Starting good study habits now will help you later in life. It does take more effort to study and to become organized.

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Andrew Marshall

Volunteering isn’t so expensive that it’s only an option for the well off. I spent 10 weeks volunteering in Arizona with America Conservation Experience, helping to preserve America’s natural beauty.

The trip was arranged through Bunac, a work, and volunteer organisation. Altogether, it cost me around £1,000 – a sum which I covered mostly by working in my student bar.

Despite the self-indulgent image associated with overseas volunteer projects, the work can be hard going. I spent my time abroad maintaining trails, building fences and implementing re-vegetation projects in some of the national parks and national monuments of America.

Summer temperatures in Arizona stay well above 35C, not ideal if you’re carrying 50 kg of concrete for 10 hours at a time. And then there’s the wildlife to deal with. One afternoon nap took a less subdued turn when I realised that a rattlesnake was resting only 3 metres from me. The experience, needless to say, improved my strength of character – and reduced my fear of the English household spider.

Most people volunteer because they want to give something back to the world. But in reality, you benefit just as much as the local communities and ecosystems you’re helping.

Spending 10 weeks in America’s most beautiful national parks and forests was an unforgettable experience. I gained a far deeper understanding of the local environment than the average tourist, meeting ex-national park rangers, who had a unique knowledge of the area’s history and ecosystem.

The most challenging aspects of working abroad are also the most beneficial. Being placed in an unfamiliar environment forces you to use your initiative and develop self-confidence – surviving 10 days of camping in the wild is something that three years of a university could never provide. When I look back on the work I completed, it makes writing a dissertation and academic deadlines seem a lot more manageable.

But best of all, my 10 weeks were spent volunteering with young people from a mix of cultures and backgrounds – from Belgians to South Koreans. When I left Arizona, I returned home having made friends with students from across the world.

1. Where did the author get the money for his trip?

2. According to the text, what was part of Andrew’s duties working in Arizona?

3. Andrew had to face all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

4. What does the author mean by saying ’surviving 10 days of camping in the wild is something that three years of a university could never provide’ (paragraph 7)?

5. What did Andrew like most of all about his trip?