Exam Card 25

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION

        The Internet nowadays is like a huge city full of many different kinds of places and people. As in a real city, there are certain places which are suitable for youngsters and others which need to be avoided.

      The Internet neither belongs to nor is controlled by any one person, organization or government. It gives all of us the opportunity to create materials for others to see. On the other hand, as in ordinary life, there are those who might use it for illegal purposes. The freedom of the Net offers exciting opportunities for youngsters and, by being aware of the possible dangers and taking steps to avoid them, they can happily explore that online world in safety.

    The Internet has enabled and advanced new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. Common sense will certainly help children to use the Internet safely. It is preferable, for example, for parents to get to know who their children are meeting online and make sure they never give out personal information about themselves. Although it is an excellent tool for learning, playing and communicating with others, youngsters should not be allowed to become so involved that they forget other activities important to their development. How often do we hear of youngsters spending all their free time in front of the computer, isolating themselves from other people their age? Computers are admirable tools that improve the quality of life, but when used sensibly. Steve Jobs said: “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them”. Obviously, surfing as a family activity is the best solution, so that any problems that are found can be discussed together.

    Parents need to think about safety issues and agree on a set of rules. Just as youngsters are given instructions on road safety, they also need to be instructed on how to travel safely along that superhighway.

2.  The author says that the Internet offers exciting opportunities for youngsters. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What is surfing the Internet compared to?

4.  Why is it important to use the Internet sensibly?

Listening 

II.  Listen to three people speaking about their work-life balance and answer the questions below.

    1.   What does the first speaker complain about?

    2.   How has the life style of the second speaker changed?

    3.   What does the third speaker think about his way of life and the typical Japanese work-life balance?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about tourism

Exam Card 24

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

WE ARE YOUNGER THAN WE EVER WERE

        If you belong to the older generation, Elderhostel is a good place to live.

    Elderhostel, founded in 1975, is the world’s largest educational and travel organisation for older adults. Its aim is to excite people’s minds and enrich people’s lives promoting and encouraging different activities among the older generation. There are no examinations or marks. All that you need, in order to enroll on a programme, is enquiring mind¹ and an adventurous spirit. Also, of course, you need to believe that learning and discovery continue all your life. There are expert instructors and experienced group leaders for field trips and cultural excursions.

       Elderhostel offers a large number of programmes in a huge variety of areas. Amongst other things, it provides simple, on­line information on activities and services. First of all, there are traditional programmes. Here, people study ancient history, literature, and art, and can learn about different cultures, modern people and issues.

       Also, Elderhostel believes that physical activity helps people to keep a positive self­image and contributes to the sense of well­being both mental and physical. Many programmes have keep­fit equipment and a large number of social and cultural events take place there, as well as sporting activities. Regular physical activity can prevent many common illnesses, such as high blood pressure and asthma and it helps people who already have such illnesses. Alongside the usual sports like swimming, hockey and cricket, bowling and tennis, you will find “Dog Clubs” and “Flying Clubs”. Then there is a group of adventure programmes involving activities like hiking, kayaking², biking and studying whales.

     There are also programmes which give people the chance to help communities in different ways, such as protecting endangered species, tutoring school children and building affordable housing.

     Finally, there are programmes which take place aboard a boat, anywhere from Antarctic to the Mississippi River.

       The word ‘old’ has a very different and very positive meaning in Elderhostel!

¹ enquiring mind [ɪnˈkwaəɪrɪŋ maɪnd] пытливый, проницательный ум

² a kayak [ˈkaɪæk] каяк (эскимосская лодка)

2.  What kind of organisation is Elderhostel? Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3.  What activities does Elderhostel offer?

4.  Why does the word ‘old’ have a positive meaning in Elderhostel?

Listening

II.  Listen to the three people speaking about how they met their partners and answer the questions below.

    1.   Why was the first speaker surprised?

    2.   When did the second speaker ask the girl out?

    3.   Why did the third speaker think that the girl was awful when they first met?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about education

Exam Card 23

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

MI LUNA

         Mi Luna is a restaurant in the Rice Village. The atmosphere is lively, and the food is delicious. It is a Spanish cuisine restaurant that you will soon consider one of your favourite restaurants.

        There are many reasons why this restaurant is special. One is that they make a wonderful dish called Pulpo con Patatas. It’s a delicious Spanish seafood dish which has the following ingredients: octopus, potatoes, salt, olive oil, and chilepiquin¹. (Chilepiquin is a special kind of chili that looks like red powder and is very hot.)

     Another reason is the place itself. Once you are in the restaurant, you feel a Spanish atmosphere; it is painted with the classical colours that are used in Spain – red, yellow, white, and black. The way this place is decorated is really very impressive. On the walls, there are photos of Spanish bullfighters, taken at the perfect moments of their performances.

      On one of the walls, you can enjoy a photo of the famous classical Spanish dance called Flamenco². In it, the dancers are wearing the traditional clothes, and the lady has in her hands the most famous Spanish musical instrument called castanets³.

       The service is pleasant, caring and quick. It makes you want to come back. The waiters just keep looking at your table to find out if you need something. If they see an empty glass, they immediately ask you if you want something else to drink. At all time, they are friendly and ready to clear all the used dishes from your table. They are always smiling because they are trying to make you feel comfortable and happy. They know each dish, so they are able to explain it to you.

        On their menu, they serve a large variety of foods, and there is a section on the menu that I like most. In Spain, these dishes are called tapas⁴. Tapas or appetizers are dishes that have a small amount of food. In this way you will be able to try a lot of different Spanish dishes.

       By the time you leave Mi Luna, you are sure to be entirely satisfied and have very good memories of the visit. It is a great place for any occasion, but it is very busy, so don’t forget to book a table first.

¹ chilepiquin [ˈtʃɪlɪˈpiːkiːn] пикин (сорт горячего перца чили)

² Flamenco  [fləˈmeŋkəʊ] фламенко (испанский танец)

³ castanets [ ˌkæstəˈnets] кастаньеты (традиционный испанский ударный музыкальный инструмент

⁴ tapas [ˈtæːpəs] тапас (закуска)

2.  The service in Mi Luna is very good. Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3.  What makes Mi Luna look very Spanish?

4.  Why should visitors make reservations in  Mi Luna in advance?

Listening

II. Listen to the conversation between two friends and answer the questions below.

1.  What does Margaret complain about?

2.  Why does Peter need new clothes?

3.  What piece of advice does Margaret give to her friend?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about youth and society

Exam Card 22

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

FROM LIBRARIAN TO POLITICAL REPORTER

       The Pretenders is a very successful and popular TV series. In each programme there is a contestant who has just four weeks to learn to do a completely new job. At the end of the month the contestant has to do a ‘test’, where he or she has to do the new job together with three other professionals. Three judges have to identify the one who pretends.

       Jessica Winters is a 26­year­old librarian. She studied English Literature at the University of Bath before getting a job at the local library. She didn’t know that two of her friends sent her name to the TV company to take part in The Pretenders. ‘When someone from the company called me, I thought it was a joke,’ said Jessica. ‘First of all, I said ‘no’, in the end my friends and my family persuaded¹ me and I agreed.’

       Jessica had four weeks to turn from a quiet, shy librarian into a confident TV reporter. At the end of the month she had to interview the Minister of Education. It was her test.

      An experienced political journalist, Adam Bowles, had to transform Jessica into a professional. He wasn’t very optimistic when he met her. ‘Jessica needs to be a lot harder, even aggressive. She is much too sweet and shy’, said Adam. ‘Politicians will eat her alive.’ They had just 28 days to teach her how to interview people, how to be confident, how to speak clearly.

      Jessica was terrified at the beginning. She watched a lot of live interviews with politicians. Adam made her read the political sections of all the newspapers. It was boring for her and she felt exhausted. Later as soon as she began making progress, she felt more relaxed.

      During the interview Jessica felt nervous but well­prepared as she had done much research and had practised a lot. ‘When it was all over came the worst part, I had to wait while the judges decided which of us they thought wasn’t a professional’. The judges gave their verdict: they were all professional reporters.

         For Jessica it was a great experience and she was pleased how she did it, but actually she doesn’t feel like changing her work.

¹ to persuade [pəˈsweɪd] убедить

2.  The Pretenders is a famous TV programme. Read aloud the extract about it.

3.  How did Jessica make it into the programme?

4.  Why was it an exciting and useful experience for Jessica? 

Listening

II.  Listen to three people talking about their favourite countries and answer the questions below.

    1.   What country does the first speaker like most?

    2.   What makes Italy a favourite place for the second speaker?

    3.   Why does the third speaker like Argentina?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about national character and stereotypes

Exam Card 21

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

TECHNOLOGY

         Technology is everywhere. We see it any place we go to and, in fact, almost all of us carry some piece of technology with us every time we leave the house. We can’t imagine our life without them. But what we always forget, though, is just how useful and powerful technology can be when we want to help others.

          There is not a single room in my house that does not have some gadget lying around in it. Whenever I am at home, providing that I am not sleeping, I am almost always using at least one electronic device. If you walked into my living room on any given day, you would find that, first, I have the television on (along with the other related appliances, such as the DVD player or my current favourite game console)¹. At the same time, even though multi­tasking is definitely not my strong point, I usually have my laptop resting on my knee, or I will be using my tablet or mobile phone. In the background, the technology that I am not using will most likely be on charge somewhere in the house. Even when I’m not at home I am constantly using my phone. At work or in cafés, I sit down and connect to the local wireless network on my laptop. I must admit that I waste a lot of time on the computer. Instead I could spend it doing some online volunteering.

         The technology we carry about everywhere can have a great power to do good for the world and to help others and recently I discovered just how much online volunteering there is to do in the world. From using your language skills to do translations, to developing and managing projects and helping with IT work, there is so much that so many people can do to help people in their own countries and across the world. The United Nations, in fact, has a huge page on its website designed for recruiting volunteers.

          This work can support the poor and help charities who otherwise would not have the funding to pay for staff. Many organisations only require you to work an hour a week – some even less. And the support provided by online volunteers can really help make a difference to those in need.

¹ game console [ˈɡeɪm kənˈsəʊl] игровая приставка

2.  The author disapproves of the way people use electronic devices. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What electronic devices does the author often use?

4.  How can online volunteering help people?

Listening

II. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.

1.  What is the flat like?

2.  What do Anna and Karlos like and dislike about the flat?

3.  What have they decided to do?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about any English-speaking countries

Exam Card 20

 Reading 

 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

ARE YOU READY TO BE INDEPENDENT?

       Angela Rowlands recently tested her teenage children’s ability to do basic household jobs in the house. When Angela and her husband Ben went to Spain for a few weeks’ holiday on the Costa Brava, their son Mark, aged 18, and daughter Frances, aged 16, stayed at home to look after the house. The parents wanted to see how Mark and Frances would manage in the house on their own.

       So when thy left the house, they did not tell the children that they had prepared a few tests for them. “We took the plug¹ off the microwave and took out some good light bulbs² and put in light bulbs that did not work. We also made sure that there were other problems in the house: with an Italian coffee machine and one of the taps³ in the bathroom,” says Dr. Rowlands.

         When Dr. Rowlands returned from her holiday, she found, as she had expected, that her children had failed the independence test. Mark and Frances had asked an electrician to change the plug on the microwave and to change the light bulbs. They also paid a specialist for repairing the bathroom tap. When they saw that the coffee maker was broken, they went to buy a new one. They even did not think to look for the missing part in the cupboard.

           Dr. Rowlands was not surprised by the results of her experiment. “A lot of young people today are not able to solve simple problems in the house,” she says. “They often throw things away when they are broken. This is wrong because it shows that young people do not understand how things work or are made. It can also be very expensive because you have to pay other people to do the work for you.”

        But repairing broken things is only part of the problem. A lot of young people cannot cook at all. If there is no ready­made meal in the fridge, or if there is nothing to warm up in the microwave, then there is no food. This can cause health problems.

        The truth is that many young people do not want to learn basic household skills as they find them boring. Though, if people want to be prepared for independent life they should learn how to do simple jobs about the house.

¹ a plug [plʌɡ] штепсельная вилка

² a light bulb [ˈlaɪt bʌlb] лампочка

³ a tap [tæp] кран

2.  Why did Dr. Rowlands decide to test the children? Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3.  What did the parents prepare for their children?

4.  Do you think the children passed the test? Why do you think so?

Listening

II.  Listen to Tom speaking about his day off and answer the questions below.

    1.   How did Tom spend his day off?

    2.   What went wrong?

    3.   What made Tom feel frightened?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about Belarus

Exam Card 19

 Reading 

 1. Read the book review and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

BOOK REVIEW

        The Guinness Books of World Records¹ have certainly changed a lot in the last 60 years. The first Guinness Book was published in August 1955 in London, in Britain. Most editions were small paperbacks printed in black­and­white and contained more text than photographs. Now, there are colour pictures on every page – and the book also includes 3­D images.

        This fascinating collection of records is divided into chapters on Space, The Living Planet, Being Human, Human Achievements, Spirit of Adventure, Modern Life, Science & Engineering, Entertainment, Sports, and the Gazetteer².

       Here you will see and read about extremes: for example, the world’s tallest, oldest, shortest, and tiniest – people, plants, animals, buildings. Some have set records for pulling buses, kissing, swimming, ironing clothes, running, and for having the longest legs, the smallest waist, etc.

         Some images are a bit strange to look at for too long – check out the woman with the longest fingernails in the world. Also, one man had 14 operations to make himself look like a cat.

         There’s a wide range of amazing facts contained on these pages. What is the world’s most expensive hamburger? – It is available in a New York restaurant for $120. Who had the most hit singles on the U.S. music charts? – Elvis Presley, of course, with 151 between 1956 and 2003 (and he died in 1977!). One of the most colourful sections shows records related to space, including some fantastic photographs of Jupiter. Take a look at the top movies such as the first summer blockbuster of all time, the first movie with Dolby sound, and the first to be more expensive than $100 million.

         As always, there’s a helpful index in the back of the book, in which you can find subjects of interest in alphabetical order.

        Please note that some stunts³ in this book would be quite dangerous – or at least terribly painful – for you to attempt to meet or beat them. Therefore, please don’t attempt to set any world records that would cause risk to you or to others!

¹ the Guinness [ˈɡɪnɪs] Books of World Records книга рекордов Гиннесса

² Gazetteer [ ˌɡæzəˈtɪə] географический справочник

³ a stunt [stʌnt] опасный трюк

2.  The author describes how The Guinness World Records books changed with time. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What information will you find in this book?

4.  Why can this book be interesting for the reader?

Listening

II. Listen to the young man describing where he lived and answer the questions below.

1.  Why did the man’s family have to rent a flat for about a year?

2.  What was their flat in the capital like?

3.  How many people is he sharing the flat with at present?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about future career.