Biofuels and the Environment

Leading investors have joined the growing chorus of concern about governments and companies rushing into producing biofuels as a solution for global warming, saying that many involved in the sector could be jeopardising future profits if they do not consider the long-term impact of what they are doing carefully.

It is essential to build sustainability criteria into the supply chain of any green fuel project in order to ensure that there is no adverse effect on the surrounding environment and social structures. The report produced by the investors e presses concern that many companies may not be fully aware of the potential pitfalls in the biofuel sector.

!roduction of corn and soya beans has increased dramatically in the last years as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels but environmental and human rights campaigners are worried that this will lead to destruction of rain forests. "ood prices could also go up as there is increased competition for crops as both foodstuffs and sources of fuel. Last wee#, the $% warned that biofuels could have dangerous side effects and said that steps need to be ta#en to ma#e sure that land converted to grow biofuels does not damage the environment or cause civil unrest. There is already great concern about palm oil, which is used in many foods in addition to being an important biofuel, as rain forests are being cleared in some countries and people driven from their homes to create palm oil plantations.

&n analyst and author of the investors' report says that biofuels are not a cure for climate change but they can play their part as long as governments and companies manage the social and environmental impacts thoroughly. There should also be greater measure ta#en to increase efficiency and to reduce demand.

(uestions

() - **** are worried about the boom in biofuels. "ew people +any people ,nly these leading investors (- - Biofuel producers **** #now about the possible problems. do not

might not must not (. - Environmentalists believe that increased production of corn and soya has destroyed rain forests. may lead to the destruction of rain forests. will lead to the destruction of rain forests. (/ - Biofuels might drive food prices up. drive food prices down. have little or no impact on food prices. (0 - The increased production of palm oil just affects the environment. just affects people. affects both people and the environment. (1 - The author of the report says that biofuels have no role to play in fighting global warming. can be effective in fighting global warming on their own. should be part of a group of measures to fight global warming.

The "irst 2omputer !rogrammer

&da Lovelace was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron. 3he was taught by +ary 3omerville, a well#nown researcher and scientific author, who introduced her to 2harles Babbage in 4une )5... Babbage was an English mathematician, who first had the idea for a programmable computer.

In )5/- and )5/., &da translated the wor# of an Italian mathematician, Luigi +enabrea, on Babbage's &nalytical Engine. Though mechanical, this machine was an important step in the history of computers6 it was the design of a mechanical general-purpose computer. Babbage wor#ed on it for many years until his death in )57). 8owever, because of financial, political, and legal issues, the

engine was never built. The design of the machine was very modern6 it anticipated the first completed general-purpose computers by about )99 years.

:hen &da translated the article, she added a set of notes which specified in complete detail a method for calculating certain numbers with the &nalytical Engine, which have since been recogni;ed by historians as the world's first computer program. 3he also saw possibilities in it that Babbage hadn't< she realised that the machine could compose pieces of music. The computer programming language '&da', used in some aviation and military programs, is named after her. (uestions

() - &da Lovelace's teacher introduced her to 2harles Babbage. True"alse (- - Babbage programmed the first computer. True"alse (. - &da translated the article in )5/-. True"alse (/ - The &nalytical Engine was electronic. True"alse (0 - Luigi +enabrea designed the first computer. True"alse (1 - Babbage finished the machine before he died. True"alse (7 - Babbage's design was ahead of its time. True"alse (5 - &da's wor# was instantly recognised as being the first computer program. True"alse (= - Babbage saw that his machine could write music. True"alse ()9 - &da wrote military and aviation computer programs. True"alse

.>ead the following passages and find the irrelevant sentences in each paragraph.

). ?arfield

@IA?arfield is a comic strip featuring the cat ?arfield, the pet dog ,die, and their socially inept owner 4on &rbuc#le. @IIA The main character is ?arfield, who is a la;y, overweight, orange cat. @IIIA 8e considers himself to be more intelligent than humans or dogs. @IBA 8e was named ?arfield after his grandfather. @BA 8e hates +ondays and loves lasagne apparently.

I II III IB B

-. &lfred 8itchcoc#

@IA :ith more than fifty feature films &lfred 8itchcoc# remains one of the most popular directors of all time. @IIA 8itchcoc#'s films draw heavily on both fear and fantasy. @IIIA 8e began directing in the $nited Cingdom. @IBA They often portray innocent people caught up in circumstances beyond their understanding. @BA The movie >ebecca, which evo#es the fears of a young bride, is a good e ample of this.

I II III IB B

.. Doping

@IA Doping is the use of drugs to try to improve sports performance. @IIA This practice is banned by sports federations throughout the world. @IIIA &thletes need to #now which substances are banned in

sport. @IBA The use of drugs during athletic festivals is evident. @BA "urthermore, they must ma#e sure that any product or medication they ta#e does not contain a prohibited substance.

I II III IB B

/- >eality Television

>eality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or EheightenedE documentary. &lthough the genre has e isted in some form or another since the early years of television, the current e plosion of popularity dates from around -999.

>eality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or Fui; shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in 4apan in the )=59s and )==9s @a modern e ample is ?a#i no tsu#aiA, to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.

2ritics say that the term Ereality televisionE is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows freFuently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in e otic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniFues.

!art of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in e traordinary situations. "or e ample, on the &B2 show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a do;en women simultaneously, travelling on e traordinary dates to scenic locales. >eality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as !op Idol, though freFuently 3urvivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

3ome commentators have said that the name Ereality televisionE is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and 3urvivor, and other special-living-environment shows li#e The >eal :orld, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. !roducers specifically select the participants, and

use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. +ar# Burnett, creator of 3urvivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word ErealityE to describe his shows6 he has said, EI tell good stories. It really is not reality TB. It really is unscripted drama.E

() - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because they agree with the statement. everyone agrees with the statement. no one agrees with the statement. they want to distance themselves from the statement. (- - >eality television has always been this popular. has been popular since well before -999. has only been popular since -999. has been popular since appro imately -999. (. - 4apan is the only place to produce demeaning TB shows. has produced demeaning TB shows copied elsewhere. produced Big Brother. invented surveillance focused productions. (/ - !eople have criticised reality television because it is demeaning. it uses e otic locations. the name is inaccurate. it shows reality. (0 - >eality TB appeals to some because it shows eligible males dating women. it uses e otic locations. it shows average people in e ceptional circumstances.

it can turn ordinary people into celebrities. (1 - !op Idol turns all its participants into celebrities. is more li#ely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother. is less li#ely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother. is a dating show. (7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate for all programs. just for Big Brother and 3urvivor. for talent and performance programs. for special-living-environment programs. (5 - !roducers choose the participants on the ground of talent. only for special-living-environment shows. to create conflict among other things. to ma#e a fabricated world. (= - !aul Burnett was a participant on 3urvivor. is a critic of reality TB. thin#s the term 'reality television' is inaccurate. writes the script for 3urvivor. ()9 - 3hows li#e 3urvivor are definitely reality TB. are scripted. have good narratives. are theatre.

CET 4apan's most famous dog

In front of the enormous 3hibuya train station in To#yo, there is a life-si;e bron;e statue of a dog. Even though the statue is very small when compared to the huge neon signs flashing, it isn't difficult to find. It has been used as a meeting point since )=./ and today you will find hundreds of people waiting there for their friends to arrive- just loo# for the crowds.

8achi#o, an &#ita dog,was born in )=-. and brought to To#yo in )=-/. 8is owner, !rofessor Eisaburo $yeno and he were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day 8achi#o would accompany his owner, a professor at the Imperial $niversity, to 3hibuya train station when he left for wor#. :hen he came bac#, the professor would always find the dog patiently waiting for him. 3adly, the professor died suddenly at wor# in )=-0 before he could return home.

&lthough 8achi#o was still a young dog, the bond between him and his owner was very strong and he continued to wait at the station every day. 3ometimes, he would stay there for days at a time, though some believe that he #ept returning because of the food he was given by street vendors. 8e became a familiar sight to commuters over time. In )=./, a statue of him was put outside the station. In )=.0, 8achi#o died at the place he last saw his friend alive. (uestions

() - The statue of 8achi#o is small. >ight :rong Doesn't say (- - The statue isn't difficult to find because there are so many people there. >ight :rong Doesn't say (. - The professor wor#ed in a school. >ight

:rong Doesn't say (/ - The professor died at wor#. >ight :rong Doesn't say (0 - The dog waited every day at the station. >ight :rong Doesn't say (1 - %obody gave the dog any food. >ight :rong Doesn't say (7 - The dog died before the statue was put outside the station. >ight :rong Doesn't say

--4ohn 3now

4ohn 3now )A ********** born in )5). in Gor#, England and was the eldest of nine children. :hen he -A ********** fourteen, he started wor#ing for a surgeon and went on to study medicine.

In )500, a lot of people started dying in an area of London of the illness cholera and 4ohn 3now went there to study what was .A **********. 8e discovered that the people who had died were drin#ing /A ********** same water.

Before this study, no one 0A ********** how people got the illness. The results of his study 1A

********** important because they 7A ********** how the illness spread and also 5A ********** to start the science of public health.

.-Intelligence pills

3ome scientists have predicted that healthy adults and children may one day ta#e drugs to improve their intelligence and intellectual performance. & research group has suggested that such drugs might become as common as coffee or tea within the ne t couple of decades.

To counter this, students ta#ing e ams might have to ta#e drugs tests li#e athletes. There are already drugs that are #nown to improve mental performance, li#e >italin, which is given to children with problems concentrating. & drug given to people with trouble sleeping also helps people remember numbers.

These drugs raise serious legal and moral Fuestions, but people already ta#e vitamins to help them remember things better, so it will not be a simple problem to solve. It will probably be very difficult to decide at what point a food supplement becomes an unfair drug in an e amination