REGULAR PROGRAMME

I03

READING

Please, check
Name: ____________________________________________
your time, you
have 35
minutes!!!

1 Read the magazine article and answer the questions below.

No Fries!

A McDonald’s in Japan has stopped selling their supersize meals. Why? Not because of
pressure from health workers concerned about the unhealthiness of the food, but for a
much simpler reason. ____________________.

B The shortage of fries is due to supply problems. Japan imports most of their potatoes
from the US, but transport workers in the US have stopped working until their pay and
working conditions get better. ________________________. At the moment, however,
there is no limit to the number of portions customers can buy, apparently.

C During my lunch break, I went down to my local McDonald’s to see how customers and
staff were dealing with the potato crisis. People were still buying fries. Supersize portions
were not on the menu. _______________________. Many were buying two or three
small portions of fries instead of one supersize portion.

D In Japan, fries are extremely popular, especially among students. Many students go to
McDonald’s just to eat the fries. Many loyal customers are unhappy about the situation.
They blame McDonald’s Japan for not having any plan for this kind of situation.
_______________________________, says Mitzuko Kawabashi. “It’s kind of crazy that
McDonald’s Japan only uses potatoes imported from the US. What’s wrong with Japanese
potatoes? Aren’t all potatoes more or less the same?”

E No one knows how long this situation will last. _____________________. McDonald’s
general manager says he hopes the American workers will start working again soon. If
they don’t, he will have no option but to discontinue fries completely.

Question 1
Tick one answer.

1 The article is about:

 Japan

 McDonald’s

 potatoes

 McDonald’s in Japan
Questions 2 – 6
In which paragraph do these sentences go? Write the correct letter.

2 It could be as long as a couple of months.

Paragraph ______

3 “If McDonald’s grew their own potatoes in Japan, they wouldn’t have this problem.”
Paragraph ______

4 But people could still buy as many fries as they wanted.

Paragraph ______

5 This means that restaurants in Japan will soon have to cut down on the amount of fries they sell.
Paragraph ______

6 They’re running out of fries.

Paragraph ______

Questions 7 – 10
Tick one answer.

7 Which sentence is correct?

 Customers can only buy one supersize portion.

 Customers can buy as many smaller portions as they want.

 Customers cannot buy any fries.

8 Which word in paragraph B means ‘based on what you’ve heard’?

 conditions

 apparently

 shortage

9 Which sentence is correct?

 Japanese potatoes are the wrong kind of potatoes.

 Japanese potatoes are too small.

 McDonald’s Japan should not only use potatoes imported from the US.
10 Which word in paragraph E means ‘stop selling’?

 situation

 option

 discontinue

WRITING

Choose one of the subjects below and write a short essay called: What would we do without it/them?
2
You will get points for using language from unit 6. You should write no less than 150 words.

bees trees oil antibiotics sea moon sun natural gas

What would we do without _____________?