Reading Test (Focus 3)

Television has changed a lot since the days when there were only two or three channels to choose from. _____ At first, this was done by satellite or cable companies offering hundreds of channels for a monthly fee. Whilst people were excited to begin with, they soon came to be disappointed. That’s because many of the programmes were poorly made which meant that more time was spent changing channels trying to find something interesting to watch than actually watching it. 

So, what does the future hold for television? Firstly, more and more people are now buying smart TVs which are linked to the Internet. This will allow a number of new ideas to be introduced. _____ We will also be able to link our televisions to our friends’ televisions and find out what they are watching so we can watch the same. So rather than talk about our favourite TV shows, we’ll simply find out from our own televisions!

This idea, though, still assumes that television will work as it does now, with programmes appearing at a certain time each week. Many companies offer a catch-up service where you can watch programmes from the previous week that you have missed, but do we need to miss programmes at all? _____ You can watch a whole series in one night. This is great for people who hate waiting to find out what is going to happen next. However, parents who are trying to encourage their children to watch less TV may disagree. It will certainly be a challenge for some.

A big advantage of not having specific times for programmes is that no one can complain that ‘there’s nothing worth watching this evening’. This is a feeling we are all familiar with, and it can be extremely frustrating. Just because some of the programmes aren’t for you, it doesn’t prevent you from watching what you want. _____ So, there will always be something to watch, whoever you are.

One big problem faced by all television channels is the rise of so many free video channels on the Internet. Why should people pay to watch television when they can spend their evenings watching almost anything for free? _____ Of course, if it is too cheap, the company won’t be able to afford to buy or make enough programmes. It is, perhaps, a bigger problem for television companies than keeping up with the latest technological advances. One solution is to create very high quality programmes that vloggers and YouTubers can’t compete with. I guess, we’ll have to wait and see what they come up with.

After our children had left home for good, my husband and I came to the conclusion that we really needed to find ourselves a smaller house. Our house had far too many rooms, which meant constant cleaning, and it was over a hundred years old, so problems were constantly coming up. After watching a couple of TV shows and doing a bit of research online, we decided that a tiny, in other words very small, home was the right solution for us. We didn’t need to keep all of the things we had, and a tiny home on wheels would give us the opportunity to move it wherever we fancied.

A reason for moving to a different house NOT mentioned by the writer is

Instead of immediately putting our old house up for sale, however, my husband – who is down-to-earth and practical – suggested renting a tiny home in a holiday spot for a week. All I can do is thank our lucky stars that he had this idea before we had made any final decisions.

The tiny home seemed perfect during the daylight hours. It had a lovely seating area, a perfectly usable kitchen, and the bathroom – though extremely small by anyone’s standards – was certainly adequate to our needs. But when it was time to go to sleep, it was a different story. The bed was in a tiny space under the roof, and once I’d managed to get up there, I felt as if I’d put myself into a drawer for the night! The area was certainly wide enough, but it was so shallow that sitting up even halfway was a challenge for me. And for my husband, who is nearly two metres tall, it was pretty much life-threatening. We did manage to sleep a little, but I kept hearing a bang, followed by a loud ‘Ouch!’ and knew that my husband would be covered in bruises in the morning.

We survived three days in the tiny house before giving up. We are still talking about downsizing, and it’s possible that there is a tiny home designed for a semi-giant and his claustrophobic partner. I rather think, though, that we will look for a smaller but more traditional place. Our children, who were excited at the beginning, have expressed some disappointment. But when I pointed out that they may need a place for an extended stay in the future, they changed their minds and congratulated us on going a more traditional route.

The writer feels that renting a tiny home temporarily

The tiny home seemed perfect during the daylight hours. It had a lovely seating area, a perfectly usable kitchen, and the bathroom – though extremely small by anyone’s standards – was certainly adequate to our needs. But when it was time to go to sleep, it was a different story. The bed was in a tiny space under the roof, and once I’d managed to get up there, I felt as if I’d put myself into a drawer for the night! The area was certainly wide enough, but it was so shallow that sitting up even halfway was a challenge for me. And for my husband, who is nearly two metres tall, it was pretty much life-threatening. We did manage to sleep a little, but I kept hearing a bang, followed by a loud ‘Ouch!’ and knew that my husband would be covered in bruises in the morning.

We survived three days in the tiny house before giving up. We are still talking about downsizing, and it’s possible that there is a tiny home designed for a semi-giant and his claustrophobic partner. I rather think, though, that we will look for a smaller but more traditional place. Our children, who were excited at the beginning, have expressed some disappointment. But when I pointed out that they may need a place for an extended stay in the future, they changed their minds and congratulated us on going a more traditional route. 

The main problem with the tiny home was that

There are a number of reasons which influence the choice to move into a tiny home. The fact is, though, that the number of people doing so is increasing quickly. A study of people who have an interest in tiny living showed that 20% of them are already living tiny, while a large majority are planning to make the change as soon as they can. The percentage of people actually living in tiny houses is still small when compared to the general population, but it is definitely a growing trend and may continue to be so.

Why are so many making the change? For one thing, people feel that their houses are too large, that they have too many things, and that going tiny will help them simplify their lives and give them more free time. The environment is another major factor. As one expert says, ‘Living tiny reduces the harm you do to the environment enormously. You use far fewer building materials, a lot less energy for heating and lighting, and you simply take up less space in our increasingly crowded environment.’ Money is also a big influence. Housing is expensive, especially in large urban areas, and some people are simply not willing to work more just so they can pay for an unnecessarily large dwelling. A tiny home is far cheaper than a conventional home to buy and maintain, and even though you may have to rent a piece of land to put it on, it still costs far less in the long run.

Is everyone happy with their choice to go tiny? We interviewed one tiny home dweller in Cambridge, England who has ended up with mixed feelings about her decision. Kim Layton said: ‘I design and make clothes for a living, and I’ve worked from home for years. For some reasons I thought I could make the tiny space function for my business, but I simply couldn’t make it work. I’ve ended up renting a space, which of course is an added expense. On the other hand, it means I’m not constantly surrounded by my work, which I’m finding to be really relaxing.’

In conclusion, if you’re thinking about going tiny consider all of the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision. And if you have the chance to try it out before deciding, by renting a tiny home for a short period for example, that is definitely the best way to go.

According to the article

There are a number of reasons which influence the choice to move into a tiny home. The fact is, though, that the number of people doing so is increasing quickly. A study of people who have an interest in tiny living showed that 20% of them are already living tiny, while a large majority are planning to make the change as soon as they can. The percentage of people actually living in tiny houses is still small when compared to the general population, but it is definitely a growing trend and may continue to be so.

Why are so many making the change? For one thing, people feel that their houses are too large, that they have too many things, and that going tiny will help them simplify their lives and give them more free time. The environment is another major factor. As one expert says, ‘Living tiny reduces the harm you do to the environment enormously. You use far fewer building materials, a lot less energy for heating and lighting, and you simply take up less space in our increasingly crowded environment.’ Money is also a big influence. Housing is expensive, especially in large urban areas, and some people are simply not willing to work more just so they can pay for an unnecessarily large dwelling. A tiny home is far cheaper than a conventional home to buy and maintain, and even though you may have to rent a piece of land to put it on, it still costs far less in the long run.

Is everyone happy with their choice to go tiny? We interviewed one tiny home dweller in Cambridge, England who has ended up with mixed feelings about her decision. Kim Layton said: ‘I design and make clothes for a living, and I’ve worked from home for years. For some reasons I thought I could make the tiny space function for my business, but I simply couldn’t make it work. I’ve ended up renting a space, which of course is an added expense. On the other hand, it means I’m not constantly surrounded by my work, which I’m finding to be really relaxing.’

In conclusion, if you’re thinking about going tiny consider all of the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision. And if you have the chance to try it out before deciding, by renting a tiny home for a short period for example, that is definitely the best way to go.

The text emphasises the point that

Animal assisted therapy is a type of treatment offered to certain patients to help them feel better. Therapy animals are particularly useful for people who have been involved in accidents or had illnesses and need extra support as they recover at home. They are also used to treat people suffering from conditions such as autism. The main thing these animals provide is comfort and friendship, to help people feel relaxed and calm. Dogs, cats, horses, pigs and even reptiles are all trained as therapy animals, sometimes visiting people in hospitals and others going to live with people at home. Therapy animals do not need a lot of training. They need to know basic commands and must interact well with humans. In fact, anyone with a pet can volunteer to offer animal assisted therapy. So if you are kind and caring and your pet is too, this could be an opportunity to do something good.

This text mentions an animal that…

When we think of dogs helping people with disabilities, we usually think of guide dogs for the blind, but just as important are hearing dogs for deaf people. There are obvious dangers for people who can’t hear such as not noticing alarms, but there are many other ways that hearing dogs help their human companions. Alarm clocks, door bells and mobile phone notifications can all easily be missed by deaf people living or spending time alone. Hearing dogs are very highly trained. It takes up to two years to prepare a puppy for work, and many of the dogs chosen for the job do not go on to become hearing dogs. They just don’t have the right skills and personality. When the right dog is matched to the right person though, the relationship between the dog and owner can be very strong. 

This text mentions an animal that…

Where dogs used to be the animal of choice for clearing dangerous war zones from explosives, a new and unlikely animal is now being used in Cambodia. Almost completely blind, the African giant pouched rat has such a good sense of smell that it is perfect for detecting hidden dangers. They are easier to transport than dogs and a lot cheaper. They also work much faster and are smaller so don’t need much space to live. However, dogs are a lot easier to train. The rats don’t understand spoken commands so are trained to understand different clicking sounds. They are also more afraid of humans and it takes a long time for them to learn how to wear a harness. In fact, it takes almost a year to train them and they only live to an average age of eight. It’s all worth it though. The rats have made a huge difference to people’s lives. People are now able to move around without fear which has greatly improved their general health and well-being.

This text mentions an animal that…