List of Headings

I.

An Example of the Question

Match the two paragraphs with one of the following three headings:
i.

How wildlife benefits from big tress

ii.

Factors that enable trees to grow to significant heights

iii.

How other plants can cause harm

Trees in Trouble- What is causing the decline of the Worlds giant forests?
A. Big trees are incredibly important ecologically. For a start, they sustain countless other species.
They provide shelter for many animals, and their trunks and branches can become gardens, hung
with green ferns, orchids and bromeliads, coated with mosses and draped with vines. With their tall
canopies basking in the sun, they capture vast amounts of energy. This allows them to sustain much
of the animal life in the forest.
B. Only a small number of tree species have the genetic capacity to grow really big. The mightiest are
native to Northern America, but big trees grow all over the globe, from the tropics to the boreal forests
of the high latitudes. To achieve giant stature, a tree needs three things: the right place to establish its
seedling, good growing conditions and lots of time with low adult mortality. Disrupt any of these, and
you can lost your biggest trees.
Paragraph 1- How wildlife benefits from big tress
Paragraph 2- Factors that enable tree to grow to significant height
B
Choose the correct heading for the paragraph below.
1. Co-operation of district officials.

2. Government authorities' instructions.

It would have been easy to criticise the MIRTP for using in the early phases a 'top-down' approach, in
which decisions were made by experts and officials before being handed down to communities, but it
was necessary to start the process from the level of the governmental authorities of the district. It
would have been difficult to respond to the requests of villagers and other rural inhabitants without the
support and understanding of district authorities.

C
Match the correct headings with the paragraphs below.
i. The causes of stress among employers and employees
ii. The increase in work-related stress
iii. The increase in visits to physicians
iv. Stress has wide-ranging effects on the body and on behaviour
A) The number of stress-related disability claims by American employees has doubled according to
the Employee Assistance Professionals Association in Arlington, Virginia. Seventy-five to ninety
percent of physician visits are related to stress and, according to the American Institute of Stress, the
cost to industry has been estimated at $200 billion-$300 billion a year.
B) It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and
employees. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent
stress can result in cardiovascular disease, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff
muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity,
exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking,
and alcohol consumption.

II
True/False/Not Given
Yes/No/Not Given
Recognizing the Writers View
The question types
In fact there are two question types here:
1.
2.

True/False/Not given
Yes/No/Not given
Some examples of how the questions work
Macallan is one of the four top selling brands of malt whisky in the world. It is made in barrels made
of Spanish oak that have previously been used for sherry because this adds sweetness to its flavour.
True
Macallan is globally successful.

False
Macallan is made in metal containers.
Not Given
Macallan is made in Spain.

Tennis

The majority of professional players on the ATP and the WTA tours now use polyester strings made by
Luxilon, a company that specialised in the past in manufacturing fibres for female undergarments. The
trend was started by the then little-known Brazilian player Gustavo Kuerten who more or less by chance
discovered that this string was almost completely dead meaning that the players are able to swing
much harder at the ball and impart much more spin on it without it flying off uncontrollably as it would do
with a traditional gut string. Kuerten of course went on to achieve much success and, in the clay court
game at least, is regarded as one of the modern greats. His most lasting legacy though may not be his
titles, rather it may be that his use of a material primarily made for womens bras allowed him and
successive champions to change how the tennis ball flew. Players were able to find completely new
angles on the court because, in the hands of a master, a shot hit with a luxilon string that might look as if it
were heading way out of court would suddenly drop like a stone, describing an almost perfect parabola.
This technological innovation has revolutionised the way in which the game is now played. For example,
Roger Federer, a man who many regard as the greatest player of all time, may have begun his career as
an attacking all-court player, but in latter years he has been forced become a much more defensively
orientated player who chooses his time to attack more carefully. Indeed, he is on record as saying that
new string technology has changed the face of the game and that he has had to adapt his game to
counter players who stand behind the baseline and produce winning shots from almost nowhere.
True/ False/Not Given
1. Roger Federer uses luxilon to string his tennis racket.
2. The use of luxilon allowed players to hit new types of shots.
3. Roger Federer has always played an attacking game of tennis.
Clock Watches

The first timepieces that were worn are the so-called clock-watches of the mid 16th century. They were
quite different from the modern day wristwatch in several respects. They were made almost completely
from brass and were not round but cylindrical in shape with a hinged metal cover instead of a glass face.
This was in the form of a grill so that the hour hand there was no minute hand or second hand could
be seen without opening it. Another difference was that these clock-watches were almost entirely
decorative in purpose and were worn in the same way as a necklace or a brooch, typically being attached
to the clothing or hung around the neck. Part of the reason for this is that the many of the first watch
makers were jewellers by trade, men who had to find a new form of work after Calvin banned the wearing
of jewellery in 1547. So they brought the skills of ornamentation to their new craft. So while the most
famous clock-watches were the plain Nuremburg Eggs made by Peter Henlein, who is sometimes credited
with the invention of the watch, the designs rapidly became increasingly ornate and included shapes such
as flowers, stars and animals. Indeed, the nobility, who were the only people able to afford these
timepieces, bought them almost exclusively for their appearance and not for timekeeping purposes for the
simple reason that they would often gain or lose several hours in the course of a day.
True/False/Not Given
1. Clock watches only had one hand
2. Peter Henlein first worked as a jeweler.
3. All the first clock-watches were ornate.

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage and answer the questions below it.
Learning a second language can boost thinking skills, improve mental agility and delay the ageing of
the brain, according to scientists who believe that speaking minority languages should be positively
encouraged in schools and universities. Studies have found that children and adults who learn or
speak another language benefit from the extra effort it takes to handle two sets of vocabularies and
rules of grammar.
Fewer parents speak minority languages to their children because of the perceived lack of
usefulness. Many people still think that a minority language makes children confused and puts them
at a disadvantage at school, said Antonella Sorace of the University of Edinburgh. These feelings
clash with much research on bilingualism, which shows instead that when there are differences
between monolingual and bilingual children, these are almost invariably in favour of bilinguals, Dr
Sorace said.
Bilingual children tend to have enhanced language abilities, a better understanding of others points
of view, and more mental flexibility in dealing with complex situations, she told the American
Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. Some scientists believe that the teaching of minority languages should be promoted.

2. Research into bilingualism supports the idea that learning two languages can be detrimental
to children.
3. Bilingual children tend to get high scores in intelligence tests.

III. Task Type: Matching Type

An Example of the Question
A. George Stephenson
B. Richard Trevithick
C. Archimedes
D. James Watt
E. the Corinthians
F. John Fitch

You have to match them to items in the text:

Which pioneer
1. was responsible for building a life size steam locomotive
2. legally protected the design of the working model of the steam locomotive
3. created a small scale replica of a steam locomotive
4. was defeated by the limitations of the raw materials available to him
5. understood the potential of steam locomotives to transport people
6. used steam as a form of propulsion
7. discovered how to use steam engines in the manufacturing industry
8. used animals and not steam to power a form of railway

TRAPS

1. Read the context dont word match

The first step was the design of a working model of a steam locomotive by John Fitch in the United
States in 1794.
2.Read for synonyms dont match words
8. used animals and not steam to power a form of railway
The Corinthians did not consider using steam to power this prototype of the railway but
instead used horses and oxen.
3. You are looking for similar words in every question
4. The questions do not follow the order of the text
5. You may use more than one name once

Utopia

A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. The word
was coined in Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island
society in the Atlantic Ocean. Chronologically, the first recorded utopian proposal is Plato's
Republic. It proposes a categorization of citizens into a rigid class structure of "golden,"
"silver," "bronze" and "iron" socioeconomic classes.
In the early 19th century, several utopian socialist ideas arose, in response to the belief that
social disruption was created by the development of commercialism and capitalism. These
ideas shared certain characteristics: an egalitarian distribution of goods, frequently with the
total abolition of money, and citizens only doing work which they enjoy and which is for the
common good, leaving them with ample time for the cultivation of the arts and sciences. One
classic example of such a utopia was Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. Another socialist
utopia is William Morris' News from Nowhere, written partially in response to the top-down
(bureaucratic) nature of Bellamy's utopia, which Morris criticized. However, as the socialist
movement developed it moved away from utopianism; Karl Marx in particular became a harsh
critic of earlier socialism he described as utopian.
Utopias have also been imagined by the opposite side of the political spectrum. For example,
Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress portrays an individualistic and libertarian
utopia. Capitalist utopias of this sort are generally based on free market economies, in which
the presupposition is that private enterprise and personal initiative without an institution of
coercion, government, provides the greatest opportunity for achievement and progress of both
the individual and society as a whole.
Answer questions 1 to 5 by choosing the correct letter A to F .
Which of the writers in the box below:
1. imagined a utopia based on individual freedom?
2. first used the word utopia?
3. wrote about a bureaucratic socialist utopia?
4. first described a utopian society?
5. distanced himself from utopian socialism?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Sir Thomas More

Plato
Edward Bellamy
William Morris
Karl Marx
Robert A. Heinlein
Australian Aborigines Demand
Return of Remains

Homework

As

former

Australia

has

historical

links

British

close
with

colony,

cultural
the

and

United

Kingdom, due to the British and Irish

museums point out that only about 500

their own accord. However, British

settlers who arrived in droves in the

of these are of Aboriginal origin. Dr

supporters of the Aborigines claim that

19th and 20th centuries. One aspect of

William Cowell Bell, for the London

such restrictive laws are inhumane in

this contact is the role of Britain, and

Museum Association, adds that "A lot

the modern world, and that it would be

British archaeologists and collectors, in

of the objects are not human remains

a simple enough matter to change

taking Aboriginal bones, relics and

in their original form, but are made out

them in order to allow the items to be

artefacts from Australia to museums

of human remains. These include

and collections in the UK. Now leaders

decorated skulls and bones from which

returned.
A further objection to handing back

of the indigenous people of Australia,

charms

the Aborigines, are demanding that

created." A smaller number of similar

any Aboriginal remains in the UK are

artefacts are known to be held in

returned to Australia.
In 19th century Britain, there was a

collections in Oxford and Cambridge.

There is some sensitivity to

mania for collecting all kinds of objects

Aboriginal

the

valuable resource in the analysis of the

from other countries. These were sent

archaeological world. Lady Amanda

way of life of Aborigines, and could be

home,

in

Spurway, life president of the Glover

used

museums such as the British Museum

Museum in London, says that the

development of the people. Breaking

and the Natural History Museum.

museum has had its small collection of

up the collection might mean that such

Museums in the UK have a huge

Aboriginal remains packed ready for

number of such objects - objects

return for a decade, and is only waiting

knowledge could be lost forever.

Aboriginal
groups,
however,

which, say protesters, were basically

for information about where they must

stolen during Britain's long colonial

go.

where

they

were

kept

and

amulets

have

demands

in

been

relics is because of their scientific

value, claim some museum directors.
Dr Bell believes that the size of the
collection

in

the

Natural

History

Museum in Lincoln made it a very

to

study

the

origin

and

respond by pointing out that the

scientific importance of the remains

The National College of Surgeons

has to be seen against a backdrop of

says it will return the remains of any

human rights. "I doubt whether the

individual

named

British government would allow several

(although it is obviously difficult to put

thousand bones of British soldiers to

is supporting Aboriginal calls for the

names to them after such a long time).

be used for 'scientific purposes' in any

objects and remains to be returned to

This growing sensitivity to the hitherto

other country," said Stevie McCoy, with

their original home. A spokesman for

ignored rights of indigenous peoples

a hint of irony. "Would the families

the Aboriginal Council of New South

around the world has caused some

allow it? I think there would be a public

Wales,

"The

relics to be restored to their original

outcry, no matter how old the remains

bones do not belong abroad. They

country, particularly in Scotland, where

were. This practice [of taking bones

belong here. This is about beliefs, and

a group of Aboriginal remains has

and human remains] went on from the

a traditional Aboriginal belief is that our

already

Edinburgh

first moment the white man came to

ancestors can only find peace if their

University has returned skulls and

Australia right up to the early part of

remains are buried in the homeland."

There are certainly lots of

bones to Tasmania and New Zealand.

One problem, according to legal

the 20th century. It is a scandal."

The
British
government,

Aboriginal remains in the UK, although

expert Ewan Mather, is that the law

meanwhile, has announced that it will

their exact locations are not entirely

allowing museums to decide what to

set up a working party to discuss the

clear. What is known is that, between

do with these objects is more relaxed

possibility of changes to the law. This

them, the British Museum and the

in Scotland. English museums, on the

might allow museums to negotiate on

Natural History Museum have some

other hand, are not allowed (either by

their own with Aboriginal and other

2,000 - 2,5000 artefacts composed of

law or by the groups of trustees who

groups around the world.

human

run them) to just hand back remains of

history, with little or no regard for the

feelings or rights of the people to
whom the objects originally belonged.
Now the Australian Prime Minister

Stevie McCoy, said:

remains,

although

the

who

been

can

returned.

be

Classify the following opinions as referring to:

A The National College of Surgeons

B Stevie McCoy

C Dr William Cowell Bell

D Lady Amanda Spurway

E Ewan Mather

Write the correct letter A, B, C, D or E in boxes 4-9 on your answer sheet.

1) No country would allow the bones of its citizens to be used for scientific purposes in another country.
2) The Glover Museum is ready to return its Aboriginal bones.

3.) Australian remains are a useful resource for scientific study.

4) It would be a problem to accurately identify the human remains.
5) Many Aboriginal remains in Britain have been made into artefacts.
6) Discrepancies in the laws of different countries can hinder the return of relics.

IV. Task Type: Multiple Choice

An Example of the Question
What were the findings of the research in Scotland:
A. anti-smoking legislation was more effective in the USA
B. advertising of tobacco products had less effect on old than on young people
C. the legislation was unpopular with the print media
D. almost a third of young people stopped smoking after the legislation

These conclusions are the result of extensive research carried out over the past 20 years around
various countries into the effect of banning tobacco advertising. In Scotland it was found that the
incidence of smoking fell by 30% in the 18-24 age group after legislation prohibiting the advertising of
tobacco products in all print media was introduced. A separate piece of research in the United States
of America found that when tobacco advertising was banned in 34 states, this reduced the level of
smoking by 50%.
TRAPS

1. In the text but doesnt answer the question

2. Probably true but youre guessing information
3. Youre word matching read the context
4. match meanings

I
1.Research completed in 1982 found that in the United States soil erosion
A reduced the productivity of farmland by 20 per cent.
B was almost as severe as in India and China.
C was causing significant damage to 20 per cent of farmland.
D could be reduced by converting cultivated land to meadow or forest.
The United States, where the most careful measurements have been done, discovered in 1982 that
about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soils productivity. The
country subsequently embarked upon a program to convert 11 per cent of its cropped land to
meadow or forest. Topsoil in India and China is vanishing much faster than in America.
2.By the mid-1980s, farmers in Denmark
A used 50 per cent less fertiliser than Dutch farmers.
B used twice as much fertiliser as they had in 1960.
C applied fertiliser much more frequently than in 1960.
D more than doubled the amount of pesticide they used in just 3 years.
Fertiliser use doubled in Denmark in the period 1960-1985 and increased in The Netherlands by 150
per cent. The quantity of pesticides applied has risen too: by 69 per cent in 1975-1984 in Denmark,
for example, with a rise of 115 per cent in the frequency of application in the three years from 1981.
3.Which one of the following increased in New Zealand after 1984?
A farm incomes
B use of fertiliser
C over-stocking
D farm diversification
In the late 1980s and early 1990s some efforts were made to reduce farm subsidies. The most
dramatic example was that of New Zealand, which scrapped most farm support in 1984. A study of
the environmental effects, conducted in 1993, found that the end of fertiliser subsidies had been
followed by a fall in fertiliser use (a fall compounded by the decline in world commodity prices,
which cut farm incomes). The removal of subsidies also stopped land-clearing and over-stocking,
which in the past had been the principal causes of erosion. Farms began to diversify.
II
1.

What is dry farming?

A. Preserving nitrates and moisture.
B. Ploughing the land again and again.
C. Cultivating fallow land.

Australian Agricultural Innovations:

1850 1900
During this period, there was a wide spread expansion of agriculture in Australia. The selection
system was begun, whereby small sections of land were parceled out by lot. Particularly in New
South Wales, this led to conflicts between small holders and the emerging squatter class, whose
abuse of the system often allowed them to take vast tracts of fertile land.
There were also many positive advances in farming technology as the farmers adapted agricultural
methods to the harsh Australian conditions. One of the most important was dry farming. This was
the discovery that repeated ploughing of fallow, unproductive land could preserve nitrates and
moisture, allowing the land to eventually be cultivated. This, along with the extension of the railways
allowed the development of what are now great inland wheat lands.

Australian Agricultural Innovations:

1850 1900
Questions:
2. What did H. V. McKay do?

Export the stripper.

Improve the stripper.
Cut, collect and sort wheat.

It allowed farmers to cultivate land that

hadnt been fully cleared.
4. What did John Custance recommend?

Improving wheat yields.

Revitalising the industry.

3. What was the stump jump ploughs innovation?

Fertilizing the soil.

It could cut through tree stumps.
To put the plough shear on wheels.

5. Why was William Farrers wheat better?

It was drought resistant.

It wasnt from England or South Africa.
It was drier for Australian conditions.

During this period, there was a wide spread

expansion of agriculture in Australia. The selection
system was begun, whereby small sections of land
were parceled out by lot. Particularly in New South
Wales, this led to conflicts between small holders
and the emerging squatter class, whose abuse of
the system often allowed them to take vast tracts of
fertile land.
There were also many positive advances in farming
technology as the farmers adapted agricultural
methods to the harsh Australian conditions. One of
the most important was dry farming. This was the
discovery that repeated ploughing of fallow,
unproductive land could preserve nitrates and
moisture, allowing the land to eventually be
cultivated. This, along with the extension of the
railways allowed the development of what are now
great inland wheat lands.
The inland areas of Australia are less fertile than
most other wheat producing countries and yields
per acre are lower. This slowed their development,
but also led to the development of several labour
saving devices. In 1843 John Ridley, a South
Australian farmer, invented the stripper, a basic
harvesting machine. By the 1860s its use was

widespread. H. V. McKay, then only nineteen,

modified the machine so that it was a complete
harvester: cutting, collecting and sorting. McKay
developed this early innovation into a large
harvester manufacturing industry centred near
Melbourne and exporting worldwide. Robert
Bowyer Smith invented the stump jump plough,
which let a farmer plough land which still had tree
stumps on it. It did this by replacing the traditional
plough shear with a set of wheels that could go
over stumps, if necessary.
The developments in farm machinery were
supported by scientific research. During the late
19th century, South Australian wheat yields were
going down. An agricultural scientist at the colonys
agricultural college, John Custance, found that this
was due to a lack of phosphates and advised the
use of soluble superphosphate fertilizer. The
implementation of this scheme revitalised the
industry.

From early days it had been obvious that

English and European sheep breeds had to be
adapted to Australian conditions, but only near
the end of the century was the same applied to
crops. Prior to this, English and South African
strains had been use, with varying degrees of
success. William Farrer, from Cambridge
University, was the first to develop new wheat
varieties that were better able to withstand dry
Australian conditions. By 1914, Australia was
no longer thought of as a land suitable only for
sheep, but as a wheat growing nation.

V. Sentence Ending
An example of the question
You get a series of incomplete sentences and you need to match them their correct ending using
information from the text. There are normally 5 or 6 sentences and 8 to 10 different endings. For
example:
Complete each sentence with the correct
ending, A-H, below.
1. For adult language leaners, an informal
setting is better than
2. It is obviously the case that children learn
languages as a result of

3. Adults who have a natural talent for new

languages are generally
4. Confident people learn languages fast
because they are not afraid of
5. Middle-aged language learners are often
unaware that they are A

A. Taking a negative approach.

B. Demonstrating an unusual ability.
C. Worrying about the views of others.

D. Being in a classroom situation.

E. Losing all sense of identity.
F. Producing errors in front of others.
G. Moving to another country.
H. Living with other speakers of the language

Talk your way into another language

Need to learn another language for a job abroad?
Textbooks and tutors may be the worst approach.
Go into a coffee bar, sit down, relax and try to talk to someone. It may look to others as though you are wasting your
time. It may even feel that way to you. But so long as you are doing this in a foreign country, where you speak the
language badly or not at all, you are probably acquiring a new language better than you ever could by formal study
with a teacher and a textbook.
The social situation, properly used, beats the classroom hollow. It is full of native speakers asking you questions,
telling you to do things, urging you to take an active part in conversation, and using gestures freely to make their
intentions clearer just like your parents did when you were an infant. So plunge in. All you have to do it talk back.
The proposition that infants can acquire languages by prolonged exposure to them is self-evidently true: it is the
only way available to them. Older children and teenagers who move to a different country can pick up a new
language with a speed that baffles their parents. But in adulthood we find ourselves envying our rare
contemporaries who can still acquire languages easily.
There may be biological reasons why the capacity to learn languages falls away with age, even more than the
capacity to learn other things. The brain may be designed to do its best language-learning in infancy, and then to
redeploy its resources at puberty. But psychological factors play a big part too. As we get older, we get more selfconscious, more inhibited, more dependent on other peoples judgements. This process may undermine our
capacity to acquire a new language, because language underpins our sense of personality and identity. We fear to
make mistakes in it.
Stephen Krashen, an expert on second-language acquisition, makes a strong case for the dominance of
psychological factors. According to Mr Krashen, people with outgoing personalities do best at learning a new
language because they have the ego to make the necessary mistakes involved in learning.
When we want to learn a new language in mid-life for reasons of career or curiosity, we commonly but wrongly
tackle it with the sense of doing something difficult and unnatural. We turn to grammar books and compact discs
expecting a fight. We are going to struggle with the language. We will master it, unless it defeats us. And with that
sort of attitude, it probably will.
All other things being equal, the best learner will be the person who is most relaxed in conversation, and the most
self-confident.

Nasa's Orion 'Mars ship' set for test flight

A US space capsule that could help get humans to Mars is about to make its maiden flight.
Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above
the Earth to test key technologies.The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that

took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.Given that
this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard.
Nonetheless, the US space agency describes the demonstration as a major event. Nasa has a
window in which to see Orion get off the pad of two hours and 39 minutes, and this began at 07:05
local time (12:05 GMT).The launch preparations had to be stopped shortly before the opening of the
window because a boat strayed into the eastern part of the launch range. After that, the countdown
had to be held because of strong winds and a technical issue.
Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in 2017 or
2018.Together, they will form the core capabilities needed to send humans beyond the International
Space Station to destinations such as the Red Planet.For Thursday's flight, the Delta IV-Heavy rocket
- currently the beefiest launcher in the world - is being used as a stand-in.It will send Orion twice
around the globe, throwing the ship up to an altitude of almost 6,000km (3,600 miles).This will set up
a fast fall back to Earth, with a re-entry speed into the atmosphere close to 30,000km/h (20,000mph) near what would be expected of a capsule coming back from the Moon.It should give engineers the
opportunity to check the performance of Orion's critical heat shield, which is likely to experience
temperatures in excess of 2,000C (4,000F).They will also watch how the parachutes deploy as they
gently lower the capsule into Pacific waters off Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.
Questions 1-4
Complete the sentences by selecting the correct ending, A-G (not all letters will be used).
1. The first ever flight of Orion is aimed to
2. Although the shape of Orion is similar to previous ships, it.
3. A new rocket is also being developed which.
4. The rocket which will be used as a replacement wil
5. As temperature reach extreme levels on re-entry, this maiden flight will..

A. send Orion twice around the world.

B. has state of the art technology.
C. test the critical heat shield.
D. check Orions performance.
E. test the most important technology.
F. will have its first voyage in a few years
G. help humans get to Mars

VI. SUMMARY COMPLETION/ GAP-FILL SUMMARY

An example of the question

Read the following passage about the discovery of penicillin.
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. Fleming recounted
that the date of his breakthrough was on the morning of September 28, 1928. It was a lucky accident:
in his laboratory in the basement of St. Mary's Hospital in London, Fleming noticed a petri dish
containing Staphylococcus culture that he had mistakenly left open. The culture had become
contaminated by blue-green mould, and there was a halo of inhibited bacterial growth around the
mould. Fleming concluded that the mould
was releasing a substance that was repressing the growth of the bacteria. He grew a pure culture and
discovered that it was a Penicillium mould, now known to be Penicillium notatum. Fleming coined the
term "penicillin" to describe the filtrate of a broth culture of the Penicillium mould.
Fill the gaps in the summary below using words from the passage.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident on September 28, 1928. He found that the
growth of bacteria on a petri dish was inhibited by a blue-green mould that had contaminated the
culture. He realised that the mould was producing a substance that was responsible for repressing
bacterial growth.
TIPS

Read through the summary carefully to make sure you understand it.
Work out which section of the reading the summary comes from
Carefully read the sentence with the first gap and think about what word form will fit.
Then look at the words that are in the box.
Use this information to help you choose the correct word for the reading gap fill.

PRACTICE
I

Air Rage
The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent during a flight, a phenomenon
now widely known as air rage, happened in 1947 on a flight from Havana to Miami. A drunk man
assaulted another passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the man escaped punishment
because it was not then clear under whose legal control a crime committed on plane was, the country
where the plane was registered or the country where the crime was committed. In 1963, at the Tokyo
convention, it was decided that the laws of the country where the plane is registered take
precedence.
The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth of air travel. Until recently few
statistic were gathered about air rage, but those that have been indicate that passengers are
increasingly likely to cause trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in 1998 there were 266 air
rage incidents out of approximately four million passengers, a 400% increase from 1995. In the same
period American Airlines showed a 200% rise. Air travel is predicted to rise by 5% internationally by
2010 leading to increased airport congestion. This, coupled with the flying publics increased
aggression, means that air rage may become a major issue in coming years.
Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real dangers to flying. The most
extreme of these is when out of control passengers enter the cockpit. This has actually happened on
a number of occasions, the worst of which have resulted in the death and injury of pilots or the
intruder taking control of the plane, almost resulting in crashes. In addition, berserk passengers
sometimes attempt to open the emergency doors while in flight, putting the whole aircraft in danger.
These are extreme examples and cases of air rage more commonly result in physical assaults on
fellow passengers and crew such as throwing objects, punching, stabbing or scalding with hot coffee.
Complete the summary below. Choose your answers from the box at the bottom of the page and
write them in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more words than spaces so you will not use them all. You may use any of the words
more than once.
passengers

happy

float

advanced

lifeboats

confident

dangers

ocean

worried

inadequate

enormous

excitement

fast

handbook

water

float

record

fast

procedures

orders

drown

size

sink

safety

The Finest Ship Ever Built

The North Atlantic Ocean crossing on the Titanic was expected to set a new standard for ______
travel in terms of comfort and______ The shipping industry had an excellent safety ______ on the
North Atlantic Crossing over the previous forty years and the Titanic was the finest and safest liner
ever built. The Titanic combined the greatest technology of the day with sheer ______, luxury and
new safety features. The Titanics owners were ______ that even if the Titanic were letting in ______
she would ______ indefinitely until help arrived. In hindsight we know that the Titanic was not
unsinkable and that technology alone could not save lives when facilities were ______ and humans
did not follow safe ______ whether because of arrogance or ignorance.

II

Look at the words in the table and decide which word will fit in the reading gap fill summary. Type the
word into the gap (when you have completed it you can click below to reveal and check your answers).

predicted

rose

incident

passenger

found

Assault

established

occurring

hoped

increased

injury

passengers

The first time that an (1) ____________ of air rage was recorded was in the 1940s, but the passenger was
never actually charged for an offence because there were no clear rules in place to specify where to prosecute.
It was later (2) ____________ that it would be the country where the plane is registered. Air rage has (3)
____________ significantly since this time, growing by a staggering 400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is (4)
____________to be a major problem in the future as air travel increases, as do levels of aggression.
Angry (5)____________can put everyone in danger including the pilots, the crew and the other passengers,
with some form of (6) ____________being the most common consequence.

III
Fill the gaps in the text using the 10 words below.

A _____ report says scientists are 95% certain that humans are the "dominant _____" of global
warming since the 1950s. The report by the UN's climate panel details the physical _____ behind
climate change. On the ground, in the air, in the oceans, global warming is "_____", it explained. The
panel warns that continued _____ of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all
aspects of the climate system. To contain these changes will require "substantial and sustained
_____ of greenhouse gas emissions".
After a week of intense negotiations in the Swedish capital, the summary for policymakers on the
physical science of global warming has finally been released. For the future, the report states that
warming is _____ to continue under all _____. Prof Sir Brian Hoskins, from Imperial College London,
told BBC News: "We are performing a very dangerous _____ with our planet, and I don't want my
grandchildren to suffer the _____."
emissions, experiment, cause, unequivocal, landmark, consequences, reductions, scenarios,
projected, evidence
Text adapted from BBC website, 2

IV
GAP FILL/ SENTENCE COMPLETION WITHOUT WORD LIST
Read the following passage about creative writing.
New research, prompted by the relatively high number of literary families, shows that there may be an
inherited element to writing good fiction. Researchers from Yale in the US and Moscow State
University in Russia launched the study to see whether there was a scientific reason why well-known
writers have produced other writers.
The study analysed the creative writing of 511 children aged eight to 17 and 489 of their mothers and
326 fathers. All the participants wrote stories on particular themes. The stories were then scored and
rated for originality and novelty, plot development and quality, and sophistication and creative use of
prior knowledge. The researchers also carried out detailed intelligence tests and analysed how
families functioned in the Russian households.
Taking into account intelligence and family background, the researchers then calculated the inherited
and the environmental elements of creative writing. They found what they describe as a modest
heritability element to creative writing.
Fill each gap in the summary below using a maximum of 2 words.
Creative writing ability may be ______ from parents, according to a new study. Researchers
compared ______ written by children and their parents, looking at elements such as originality and
use of ______. After conducting intelligence tests and allowing for ______, they concluded that there
is a ______ link between genetics and creative writing.

VII. SENTENCE COMPLETION

An example of the Question

Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text.

1.
2.
3.

Pandas only meet regularly in ________ and otherwise restrict contact with each other.
By clawing trees and leaving scent, the panda is claiming _______ as its own.
Pandas only get a limited amount of energy from bamboo because it is ___________.
Read the text

Despite their cuddly image, giant pandas are among some of the least social mammals. This is
particularly the case for fully-grown females which are highly territorial and barely tolerate the
company of other females. Part of the explanation for this behaviour is that their territories can be
vast and are by no means limited to a cave or den, and this has the net result that they do not
ordinarily come into contact with one another. The one time that they do gather together is in the
mating season, but even here contact is kept to a minimum and the male will leave the female to
raise the cub on its own. Whatever communication that does take place in the rest of the year is
indirect and mostly takes the form of territorial marking with the panda warning its neighbours against
entering its territory either by scratching a tree or spraying urine. Another factor in this lack of
sociability is the pandas diet of almost exclusively bamboo. Because bamboo is very low in nutrition,
it provides the panda with little energy, partially because the panda is technically classified as a
carnivore and has had to adapt to this herbivorous diet. This lack of nutritional value in its diet means
the panda needs to conserve as much energy as possible, and one way of doing this is avoiding
social interaction with other animals.
Answers:
1. the mating season
2. its territory
3. low in nutrition
REMEMBER:
1.
Understand that your answer can include one, two or three words from the text.
Sometimes the question will state using words from the text or from the text
2.
The questions follow the order of the text.

3.

The first step is to find which part of the text contains the answer, then you look for
what the answer is.
4.
The words in the question may not match the words in the text .
5.
The words you put in must be grammatically correct.

PRACTICE
I

Complete the following statements using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

(put your choice into the gaps - use small letters and don't put any spaces after your last word)
1. Australia was originally founded as _____________.
2. The major consideration in colonizing Australia was Britains _____________.
3. It was thought that Australia could be utilised as _____________ to the neigbouring region.
4. Lord Sydney took every factor into account when he gave official permission
for _____________of Australia.
5. Botany Bay was abandoned by the settlers due to the lack of cover and _____________.

European Settlement of Australia

European settlement of Australia began in 1788 when a British penal colony was established on the
east coast. From this starting point Australia grew rapidly and continually, expanding across the entire
continent.
A number of reasons contributed to Britain's decision to colonise Australia. The most important factor
was Britain's need to relieve its overcrowded prisons. Several violent incidents at overcrowded
prisons convinced the British government of the need to separate unruly elements from the rest of the
prison populace.
Additionally, Australia was of strategic importance to Britain, and it provided a base for the Royal
Navy in the eastern sea. Also, Australia could be used as an entry point to the economic opportunities
of the surrounding region. All these points figured in the decision by Lord Sydney, secretary of state of
home affairs, to authorise the colonisation.
To this affect, on May 13, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip, commanding eleven ships full of convicts, left
Britain for Australia. He successfully landed a full fleet at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. However,
they left the bay eight days later because of its openness and poor soil, and settled instead at Port
Jackson, a few kilometres north. The ships landed 1,373 people, including 732 convicts, and the

settlement became Sydney. Australia Day is now celebrated on 26 January each year, to
commemorate this first fleet landing.

II
The War on Smoking
Make no mistake, the move to introduce plain packaging is just the latest front in the war against
smoking. Over the past decade, there has been a ban on smoking in public places and moves to
restrict displays in shops. But one of the issues that has been concerning health experts and
ministers is the number of people who continue to take up smoking, particularly young people. More
than 200,000 under 16s start in the UK each year helping ensure a viable market remains for
manufacturers once the number of people quitting and dying is taken into account. In countries like
the UK where there is a ban on advertising, the pack remains the last major vehicle for promotion.
Hence the detail and care taken in the design of the packets with their laminated and special print
effects, foil decorations and slide openings and bevelled edges. It should come as no surprise
therefore to learn that they have become known as the silent salesman and mobile billboard within
the industry. They are that important.
Questions 1-4
Complete the sentences. Choose no more than two words and/ or a number from the passage for
each answer.
1. The most recent development in the war against smoking is to establish _____________.
2. The large number of new smokers, particularly under 16s, makes certain that cigarette companies
will always have a ______________.
3. In some countries, packaging is the only method that cigarette companies have for
________________.
4. Packets are seen as being _____________ in the cigarette industry.

VIII. MATCHING INFORMATION TO PARAGRAPHS

I

Questions
1. Neon lighting was not developed as a form of advertising
2. The entertainment industry became involved in creating new uses for neon lighting.
3. The effect of a new morality on the neon lighting industry.
4. Neon can be obtained through the liquefaction of air.
5. Displays of neon lighting became a symbol of a citys growth and success.
6. Neon is a scarce element found in the air.

A
We are celebrating this year the centenary of neon lighting, a hundred years of garish illumination of
our cities. It is now almost impossible to travel anywhere of any size where you are not confronted
with coloured signs lighting up the night sky with slogans for every product and service known to man.
Many of these giant advertising hoardings are LED panels showing moving images, but they owe
their existence to the more humble neon tube and its inventor Georges Claude.
B

The light emitting properties of neon were identified almost immediately after its discovery in 1898 by
the British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers in 1898. When they attached an
electrode to a tube of the newly-discovered gas, there was what Travers described as a blaze of
crimson light. This fascinated both the scientific and business communities equally as they sought to
find a way to commercialise neon in a world where electricity was the coming technology. They were
frustrated in their attempts by difficulties in isolating the element which, while it is part of the Earths
atmosphere, is comparatively rare.
C
As is frequently the way with inventions, the breakthrough came by accident. A French entrepeneur,
Georges Claude, had recently set up a business Air Liquide that specialised in the production of liquid
nitrogen and oxygen. He discovered that he was also producing industrial quantities of neon as a byproduct of this process and this put him into the position of being able to build on other peoples
earlier experiments to produce neon lighting. Indeed, in the early years of neon, he had a near
monopoly on the new technology, as his ready supply of neon allowed him to find a practical way to
seal the gas in glass tubes.
D
Initially when he demonstrated his neon tubes at an exhibition in Paris in 1910, Claude proposed
using his neon tubes as a form of indoor lighting to the extent he was nicknamed the French Edison.
It did not take long to realise, however, that its true potential lay in signage and advertising and the
first neon signs were seen in Paris as early as 1913. The great leap forward for the business came,
though, when the technology was exported to the United States of America and, in particular, New
York which was on the point of becoming the commercial capital of the world. A measure of the new
technologys success can be gauged from the fact that the neon sign industry was valued at $16.9
million by 1931 a mere 8 years after the first signs for a Packard automobile dealership were set up
in California at the cost of $24,000.
E
The great era of neon was without question the 1930s and its showcase was Times Square in New
York. The simple neon tubes first created by Georges that produced a red light had long since been
replaced by glass lettering bent into every conceivable shape. Neon too was supplemented with other
gases such as argon, mercury and phosphor that enabled the production of every possible colour and
shade. Each year the Times Square display became ever more spectacular as the light display
incorporated design elements from the stage and screen such as sound and animation. This only led
to other cities in the United States and around the world producing their own neon spectaculars in an
attempt to show off their modernity.

F
The Second World War brought an end to the great expansion on neon advertising in the United
States and, with some exceptions, such as in Las Vegas, the great cities of the world were no longer
illuminated by giant neon advertising signs to anything like the same extent. Part of the explanation
for this is that the world had become a more austere and sober place in the 1940s, a time of harsh
economic realities. Against this background neon signage, which had become associated with excess
and entertainment , no longer seemed appropriate in the new world order. This did not mean neon
disappeared from our lives altogether, it simply meant that it went slightly underground advertising
barber shops and kebab stalls as opposed to the latest car to roll off the Ford assembly line. It also
became a medium for artists to work in.
G
While it is unlikely that the neon tube will ever capture the world again as it did in its heyday, this does
not mean that it is a forgotten technology or one that had only a passing influence on advertising. In
many ways, 100 years after its birth it remains as influential as ever. Can you imagine a world without
fluorescent lights, plasma displays or even the television? Without the neon tube we would have seen
none of these.

II
The Motor Car

Sample Passage 7 has eight paragraphs labelled A-H.

Which paragraphs contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1 a comparison of past and present transportation methods

2 how driving habits contribute to road problems
3 the relative merits of cars and public transport
4 the writers prediction on future solutions
5 the increasing use of motor vehicles
6 the impact of the car on city development

Section A
There are now over 700 million motor vehicles in the world - and the number is rising by more than 40
million each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing too - from 8km a day per
person in Western Europe in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995. This dependence on motor vehicles has
given rise to major problems, including environmental pollution, depletion of oil resources, traffic
congestion and safety.
Section B
While emissions from new cars are far less harmful than they used to be, city streets and motorways
are becoming more crowded than ever, often with older trucks, buses and taxis which emit excessive
levels of smoke and fumes. This concentration of vehicles makes air quality in urban areas
unpleasant and sometimes dangerous to breathe. Even Moscow has joined the list of capitals
afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes. In Mexico City, vehicle pollution is a major health hazard.
Section C
Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20km range, the distance conveniently
accessible by horse. Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail. Invention of the motor
vehicle brought personal mobility to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible over a much
wider area. In the United Kingdom, about 90 per cent of inland freight is carried by road. The world
cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon. Can it avoid being locked into congested and polluting ways
of transporting people and goods?
Section D
In Europe most cities are still designed for the old modes of transport. Adaptation to the motor car has
involved adding ring roads, one-way systems and parking lots. In the United States, more land is
assigned to car use than to housing. Urban sprawl means that life without a car is next to impossible.
Mass use of motor vehicles has also killed or injured millions of people. Other social effects have
been blamed on the car such as alienation and aggressive human behaviour.
Section E
Technical solutions can reduce the pollution problem and increase the fuelled efficiency of engines.
But fuel consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and
how they are driven. Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by

driving aggressively. Besides, global car use is increasing at a faster rate than the improvement in
emissions and fuel efficiency which technology is now making possible.
Section F
Some argue that the only long-term solution is to design cities and neighbourhoods so that car
journeys are not necessary - all essential services being located within walking distance or easily
accessible by public transport. Not only would this save energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions, it
would also enhance the quality of community life, putting the emphasis on people instead of cars.
Good local government is already bringing this about in some places. But few democratic
communities are blessed with the vision and the capital to make such profound changes in
modern lifestyles.
Section G
A more likely scenario seems to be a combination of mass transit systems for travel into and around
cities, with small low emission cars for urban use and larger hybrid or lean burn cars for use
elsewhere. Electronically tolled highways might be used to ensure that drivers pay charges geared to
actual road use. Better integration of transport systems is also highly desirable - and made more
feasible by modern computers. But these are solutions for countries which can afford them. In most
developing countries, old cars and old technologies continue to predominate.

IX. Flowchart/Diagram

Tips

First of all you should skim read the passage to get the gist (general idea)
For flowcharts, it is necessary to be aware of the order in which events happen in the passage
For diagrams, you need to understand how the different parts of the picture relate to what is
described in the passage.
For each stage in the flow chart / part of the diagram, you should locate the part of the
passage which contains the same ideas
Make sure you are aware of any word limits.
Dont alter words from the passage when labeling a flowchart / diagram.

A Remarkable Beetle
Some of the most remarkable beetles are the dung beetles, which spend almost their whole lives eating
and breeding in dung.
More than 4,000 species of these remarkable creatures have evolved and adapted to the worlds different
climates and the dung of its many animals. Australias native dung beetles are scrub and woodland
dwellers, specialising in coarse marsupial droppings and avoiding the soft cattle dung in which bush flies
and buffalo flies breed.
In the early 1960s George Bornemissza, then a scientist at the Australian Governments premier research
organisation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), suggested that
dung beetles should be introduced to Australia to control dung-breeding flies. Between 1968 and 1982,
the CSIRO imported insects from about 50 different species of dung beetle, from Asia, Europe and Africa,
aiming to match them to different climatic zones in Australia. Of the 26 species that are known to have
become successfully integrated into the local environment, only one, an African species released in
northern Australia, has reached its natural boundary.
Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process: approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a
handful at a time, into fresh cow pats in the cow pasture. The beetles immediately disappear beneath the
pats digging and tunnelling and, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a
permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology. In time they multiply and within three or four years the
benefits to the pasture are obvious.
Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such as birds and
foxes. Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly underneath the pats, which are
hollowed out from within. Some large species originating from France excavate tunnels to a depth of
approximately 30 cm below the dung pat. These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along
the tunnels. The shallowest tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in
chambers that hang like fruit from the branches of a pear tree. South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of
approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat. Some surface-dwelling beetles, including a South
African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are rolled away and attached to the bases
of plants.

For maximum dung burial in spring, summer and autumn, farmers require a variety of species with
overlapping periods of activity. In the cooler environments of the state of Victoria, the large French species
(2.5 cms long) is matched with smaller (half this size), temperate-climate Spanish species. The former are
slow to recover from the winter cold and produce only one or two generations of offspring from late spring
until autumn. The latter, which multiply rapidly in early spring, produce two to five generations annually.
The South African ball-rolling species, being a subtropical beetle, prefers the climate of northern and
coastal New South Wales where it commonly works with the South African tunnelling species. In warmer
climates, many species are active for longer periods of the year.
Dung beetles were initially introduced in the late 1960s with a view to controlling buffalo flies by removing
the dung within a day or two and so preventing flies from breeding. However, other benefits have become
evident. Once the beetle larvae have finished pupation, the residue is a first-rate source of fertiliser. The
tunnels abandoned by the beetles provide excellent aeration and water channels for root systems. In
addition, when the new generation of beetles has left the nest the abandoned burrows are an attractive
habitat for soil-enriching earthworms. The digested dung in these burrows is an excellent food supply for
the earthworms, which decompose it further to provide essential soil nutrients. If it were not for the dung
beetle, chemical fertiliser and dung would be washed by rain into streams and rivers before it could be
absorbed into the hard earth, polluting water courses and causing blooms of blue-green algae. Without
the beetles to dispose of the dung, cow pats would litter pastures making grass inedible to cattle and
depriving the soil of sunlight. Australias 30 million cattle each produce 10-12 cow pats a day. This
amounts to 1.7 billion tonnes a year, enough to smother about 110,000 sq km of pasture, half the area of
Victoria.
Dung beetles have become an integral part of the successful management of dairy farms in Australia over
the past few decades. A number of species are available from the CSIRO or through a small number of
private breeders, most of whom were entomologists with the CSIROs dung beetle unit who have taken
their specialised knowledge of the insect and opened small businesses in direct competition with their
former employer.

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

Species

Size

Preferred
climate

Complementary
species

Start of
active period

Number of
generations
per year

French

2.5 cm

cool

Spanish

late spring

1-2

Spanish

1.25 cm 9) ....................

South African
ball roller

12) .................... 13) ....................

10) .................... 11) ....................

ROBOTS AT WORK
A The newspaper production process has come a long way from the old days when the paper was written,
edited, typeset and ultimately printed in one building with the journalists working on the upper floors and
the printing presses going on the ground floor. These days the editor, subeditors and journalists who put
the paper together are likely to find themselves in a totally different building or maybe even in a different
city. This is the situation which now prevails in Sydney. The daily paper is compiled at the editorial
headquarters, known as the prepress centre, in the heart of the city, but printed far away in the suburbs at
the printing centre. Here human beings are in the minority as much of the work is done by automated
machines controlled by computers.
B Once the finished newspaper has been created for the next mornings edition, all the pages are
transmitted electronically from the prepress centre to the printing centre. The system of transmission is an
update on the sophisticated page facsimile system already in use on many other newspapers. An
imagesetter at the printing centre delivers the pages as film. Each page takes less than a minute to
produce, although for colour pages four versions, once each for black, cyan, magenta and yellow are sent.
The pages are then processed into photographic negatives and the film is used to produce aluminium
printing plates ready for the presses.
C A procession of automated vehicles is busy at the new printing centre where the Sydney Morning
Herald is printed each day. With lights flashing and warning horns honking, the robots (to give them their
correct name, the LGVs or laser guided vehicles) look for all the world like enthusiastic machines from a
science fiction movie, as they follow their own random paths around the plant busily getting on with their
jobs. Automation of this kind is now standard in all modern newspaper plants. The robots can detect
unauthorised personnel and alert security staff immediately if they find an intruder; not surprisingly, tall
tales are already being told about the machines starting to take on personalities of their own.
D The robots principal job, however, is to shift the newsprint (the printing paper) that arrives at the plant in
huge reels and emerges at the other end some time later as newspapers. Once the size of the days
paper and the publishing order are determined at head office, the information is punched into the
computer and the LGVs are programmed to go about their work. The LGVs collect the appropriate size
paper reels and take them where they have to go. When the press needs another reel its computer alerts
the LGV system. The Sydney LGVs move busily around the press room fulfilling their two key functions to
collect reels of newsprint either from the reel stripping stations, or from the racked supplies in the
newsprint storage area. At the stripping station the tough wrapping that helps to protect a reel of paper
from rough handling is removed. Any damaged paper is peeled off and the reel is then weighed.
E Then one of the four paster robots moves in. Specifically designed for the job, it trims the paper neatly
and prepares the reel for the press. If required the reel can be loaded directly onto the press; if not needed
immediately, an LGV takes it to the storage area. When the press computer calls for a reel, an LGV takes
it to the reel loading area of the presses. It lifts the reel into the loading position and places it in the correct
spot with complete accuracy. As each reel is used up, the press drops the heavy cardboard core into a
waste bin. When the bin is full, another LGV collects it and deposits the cores into a shredder for
recycling.
F The LGVs move at walking speed. Should anyone step in front of one or get too close, sensors stop the
vehicle until the path is clear. The company has chosen a laserguide function system for the vehicles

because, as the project development manager says The beauty of it is that if you want to change the
routes, you can work out a new route on your computer and lay it down for them to follow. When an
LGVs batteries run low, it will take itself off line and go to the nearest battery maintenance point for
replacement batteries. And all this is achieved with absolute minimum human input and a much reduced
risk of injury to people working in the printing centres.
G The question newspaper workers must now ask, however is, how long will it be before the robots are
writing the newspapers as well as running the printing centre, churning out the latest edition every
morning?.
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.

The Production Process

The newspaper is compiled at the editorial headquarters by the journalists.

The final version of the text is 33 ________________ to the printing centre.

The pages arrive by facsimile.

The pages are converted into 34 _______________________

35 ____________________ are made for use in the printing presses.

The LGVs are 36 ____________ by computer.

The LGVs collect the reels of paper.

The LGVs remove the 37___________________________ from the reel.

The reel is 38 __________

The reel is trimmed and prepared by the 39 __________

The reel is taken to the press.

The reel is taken to the 40

_____________ .

Television Addiction

A The term "TV addiction" is imprecise, but it captures the essence of a very real phenomenon.
Psychologists formally define addiction as a disorder characterized by criteria that include spending a
great deal of time using the thing; using it more often than one intends; thinking about reducing use or
making repeated unsuccessful efforts to reduce use; giving up important activities to use it; and
reporting withdrawal symptoms when one stops using it.
B All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of television. That does not mean that
watching television, in itself, is problematic. Television can teach and amuse; it can be highly artistic;
it can provide much needed distraction and escape. The difficulty arises when people strongly sense
that they ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find they are unable to reduce their viewing.
Some knowledge of how television becomes so addictive may help heavy viewers gain better control
over their lives.
C The amount of time people spend watching television is astonishing. On average, individuals in the
industrialized world devote three hours a day to the activity fully half of their leisure time, and more
than on any single activity except work and sleep. At this rate, someone who lives to 75 would spend
nine years in front of the television. Possibly, this devotion means simply that people enjoy TV and
make a conscious decision to watch it. But if that is the whole story, why do so many people worry
about how much they view? In surveys in 1992 and 1999, two out of five adults and seven out of ten

teenagers said they spent too much time watching TV. Other surveys have consistently shown that
roughly ten per cent of adults call themselves TV addicts.
D To study peoples reactions to TV, researchers have undertaken laboratory experiments in which
they have monitored the brain waves, skin resistance or heart rate of people watching television. To
study behavior and emotion in the normal course of life, as opposed to the artificial conditions of the
laboratory, we have used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Participants carried a beeper*,
and we signaled them six to eight times a day, at random, over the period of a week; whenever they
heard the beep, they wrote down what they were doing and how they were feeling.
E As one might expect, people who were watching TV when we beeped them reported feeling
relaxed and passive. The EEG studies similarly show less mental stimulation, as measured by alpha
brain-wave production, during viewing than during reading.
F What is more surprising is that the sense of relaxation ends when the set is turned off, but the
feelings of passivity and lowered alertness continue. Survey participants commonly reflect that
television has somehow absorbed or sucked out their energy, leaving them depleted. They say they
have more difficulty concentrating after viewing than before. In contrast, they rarely indicate such
difficulty after reading. After playing sports or engaging in hobbies, people report improvements in
mood. After watching TV, people's moods are about the same or worse than before.
G Within moments of sitting or lying down and pushing the "power" button, viewers report feeling
more relaxed. Because the relaxation occurs quickly, people are conditioned to associate viewing
with rest and lack of tension. The association is positively reinforced because viewers remain relaxed
throughout viewing.
H Thus, the irony of TV: people watch a great deal longer than they plan to, even though prolonged
viewing is less rewarding. In our ESM studies the longer people sat in front of the set, the less
satisfaction they said they derived from it. When signaled, heavy viewers (those who consistently
watch more than four hours a day) tended to report on their ESM sheets that they enjoy TV less than
light viewers did (less than two hours a day). For some, a twinge of unease or guilt that they aren't
doing something more productive may also accompany and depreciate the enjoyment of prolonged
viewing. Researchers in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. have found that this guilt occurs much more
among middle-class viewers than among less affluent ones.
I The orienting response is an instinctive reaction to any sudden or new, such as movement or
possible attack by a predator. Typical orienting reactions include the following the arteries to the brain
grow wider allowing more blood to reach it, the heart slows down and arteries to the large muscles
become narrower so as to reduce blood supply to them. Brain waves are also interrupted for a few
seconds. These changes allow the brain to focus its attention on gathering more information and
becoming more alert while the rest of the body becomes quieter.
Complete the labels on the diagram.
Choose your answers from the box beside the diagram.
NB There are more words / phrase than spaces, so you will not use them all.

A relaxed

E reduced

B accelerated

F stopped momentarily

C increased

G widened

D lengthened

H regulated