READING - SCALE A1-A2 Read the text below. Are the sentences 1-7 ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information to answer ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B), choose ‘Doesn't say’ (C). Write your answers on your exam sheet. H's not offen that trash gets a massive amount of positive attention, but a relatively new re-use group, called Freecycle, has gained the admiration of people inside and outside the waste industry. The Tucson, Ariz.-based group aims to keep items out of landfils by offering a forum through which people can get rid of their unwanted items — for free The group works through locally based e-mail lists — sometimes more than one per metro area — where members can post e-mails offering their unwanted items and other members can respond to offers. Members are free to choose which respondent they want to give their items to. Most re-use programs are limited to a certain geographical area, but Freecycle allows any metropolitan area to create its own affliated group. Since its formation in May 2003, the network has grown ‘3 2,383 groups in 50 states and several foreign countries for a total of 950,000 members. Its growth has been astounding, says Freecycle Founder Deron Beal. “We have grown by 100,000 members in the past week. We have had 2,300 percent growth in the past six months,” he says. He expects to have millions of members within a few months. Beal says he is happy about the group's success and not just about diverting s0 much would-be trash from landfills. “It's all about the cycle of giving and Freecycle is like meta-charity,” he says. “It's everybody helping everybody. The humblest of us can become a philanthropist.” (Waste Age Magazine — wwwewasteage.com) 1. The group's purpose is to help people dispose of unnecessary things. A Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say 2. ILuses social networking sites to facilitate communication between its members, A Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say. 3. Freecycle operates only in the US. A Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say |. Freecycle was created in the spring of 2003. A. Right B. Wrong ©. Doesn't say 5. 500 tons of trash are taken to landfills everyday. ‘A Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say Only poor people have joined the network, A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't say Freecycle promotes generosity towards other people. A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn't sayREADING - SCALE B1-B2 Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers on your exam sheet. As a writer, | spend a lot of my time glued to my computer screen: researching and pitching ideas, dealing with emails, keeping abreast of breaking news and, occasionally, writing. While recently trying to launch an online magazine, my screen time increased still further and, unable to resist the temptation any longer, | also answered the call of Twitter. Setting aside BlackBerry time at ‘evenings and weekends, | was devoting eight hours a day to digital media ‘After a month, strange things started to happen. 1 found it difficult to concentrate on any given task for more than a few minutes. My mind felt scattered and my focus wandered from email to web page to tweet to email and back again. Despite working ever more furiously, | would reach the end of a 10- hour day and feel | had achieved almost nothing. What had I learnt? Which of those hundreds of bite-size pieces of information had actually lodged in my brain? What had | created — which is, after all, my primary working function? ‘The answer, frustratingly, was usually very litle. But while distractealy surfing, | discovered what was ailing me. It was spett out in a piece of research published in March by Lila Davachi, a New York University neuroscientist: my gluttony for digital media came at a price: a severe impact on cognitive function, in particular memory. In her study, the brains of 16 men and women, aged 22 to 34, were scanned by a functional magnetic imagining machine (fMRI) while they looked at three different pictures: an object, a face and a mountain scene. After viewing the photos, and while their brains were stil being scanned, the participants were asked to lie stil, rest and let their minds wander. When they were shown the pictures again, they were better able to remember them than they were before they took a rest — the daydreaming had improved their recall “Our data suggests that if you are not giving yourself a break, you are hindering your brain’s ability to consolidate memories and experiences,” said Davachi My constant cyber-hopping meant that I had never really stopped, taken a deep breath and let my poor, overcooked brain rest. Hardly rocket science, then, that my thoughts were so fragmented. These findings follow the warnings last year by Baroness Susan Greenfield leading neuroscientist and former director of the Royal Institution, that social networking sites such as Facebook, which has 350 milion users worldwide, and Twitter, which generates 50 milion tweets a day, risk “infantiising® the 21stcentury ‘mind. Our sociakmedia-saturated brains are, she said characterised by a short attention span, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity. Although her remarks received a mixed reception from the medical and scientific communities, they certainly strike a chord with fellow extreme digital media users. (The Telegraph - www.telegraph co.uk)4. The writer does most of his work A. at the office, B. in front of the computer. . in the park near his house, D. in the countryside, 2. The author ‘A. was working 12 hours a day. B. was a convinced technophobe. C. rejected technology. D. was heavily relying on digital devices. 3. Itwas not easy for him AA. to focus on a task for a long time, B. to deliver his latest novel on time, C. to find time for his family. D. to give up smoking, 4. He felt A. his work was liberating B. his life was a mess. . he was going against the tide. . his work efficiency was low, 5. Digital media ‘A. improve our cognitive skills. 8. sharpen our memory. C. affect our brain D. diminish our attention span, 6. Research shows daydreaming ‘A. distracts us from important tasks, B. favours a better recal. C. allows us to escape our daily lives. D. diverts us from our work. 7. The brain needs ‘A. nutrients to function properly. Ba break to reinforce memories. C. a good night's sleep. D. care just lke the body. 8, The writer A. continued working on his book. BB. went on holiday to Ibiza C. realized he should have taken time out. D. shut down his computer. 8. Susan Greenfield believes ‘A. networking sites develop creativily, B. networking sites generate wealth, C. networking sites induce immature behaviour. D. networking sites should be banned. 10, The medical and scientific communities ‘A. have reacted differently to Mrs. Greenfield's findings, BB. have reached the same conclusions as Mrs. Greenfield C. agree with Mrs. Greenfield's views. D. deny Mr. Greenfield's merits