LISTENING (OL5)

Part 1: You will hear an interview about the work environment of the future. Listen and compete the
sentences with a word or short phrase.

Robert Lee runs an organization that specializes in the 1.________________________ of professionals.

Robert is certain that it will not be possible to succeed in the e-economy without possessing
2.______________________ .
According to Robert, more people will use the Internet to work 3.______________________ as
companies grow smaller.
Employers of e-lancers benefit from the talent auction because it gives them a(n)
4.___________________ of candidates.
Robert says that those people who want to and are able to 5.______________________ will be most in
demand in the future.
Research has shown that increased 6.__________________________ can ensure better learning choices.
According to Robert, it is not the subject, but the actual 7.______________________ of learning that is
important.
As a result of changes in the working environment, managers will need to 8.______________________.
Nowadays, the amount of time employees spend on their work is less important than their
9.________________________.

Part 2: You will hear a philosopher called Marc Jerome and a psychologist called Elena Berensen
taking part in a discussion on the subject of identity and the labels that identify groups of people
in society. For questions 1 - 5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what
you hear.

1. What does Marc suggest about being labelled as 'a philosopher'?

A It's the label he uses most often.
B It's not a label he could use in other contexts.
C It's the label that best describes what he does.
D It's only one of various labels he sometimes uses.
2. Elena suggests that the term 'pigeonholed' is used by people who
A prefer not to use labels.
B dislike the labels they've chosen.
C resent having labels applied to them.
D feel that they don't fit under any labels.
3. Marc and Elena agree that a very strong sense of identity can
A leave people unprepared for changing circumstances.
B have adverse effects on relationships at work.
C make people too quick to categorise others.
D lead to tensions in aspects of family life.
4. When asked about labelling by the media, Elena reveals
A a determination to make it more sensitive.
B a concern about the social consequences.
C a feeling that it isn't greatly significant.
D an acceptance that it has a part to play.
5. In his concluding comments, Marc suggests that labels of identity
A allow the individual to fit into society.
B help the individual to prioritise things in life.
C prevent the individual from being truly unique.
D stop the individual from becoming too self-obsessed.
Listen to a piece of news about signs of life on Venus. Complete the sentences, using NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

The woman scientist used the phrase 1. _______________________ to describe the earth.
Phosphine is referred to as 2. _______________________ as it is primarily the result of life.
There is thought to be a connection between phosphine and microbes living in swamps or other
3._____________________ environments.
The existence of the gas on Venus could stem from a 4._______________________ or some unknown
chemical or geological process there.
Lowis Dartnell refers to the type of cell that could survive the environment in the Venusian clouds as
5._______________________.
Professor Jane Greaves and her colleagues were amazed to find phosphine – a very 6._________________
gas there on Venus.
Prof. Jane said they continued using telescopes to find out the answer but it was slow due to
7._______________________.
Sofia is a(n) 8._______________________ telescope of the stratospheric observatory.
According to the professor, it’s possible that there exist a few microbes in 9._______________________
of sulfuric acid and water in the clouds.
She said these microbes might survive the condition thanks to some sort of 10._____________________,
a protective mechanism evolved over millions of years.

VOCABULARY - GRAMMAR
Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to each of the following questions.

1. Don't expect Alan to buy you a drink. He earns plenty of money but he's very __________.
A. hard-up B. wealthy C. tight D. comfortable
2. After his crushing defeat in the semi-finals it took Paul a long time to _________ his confidence.
A. recover B. rebut C. return D. remake
3. He moved out of his parents’ house as soon as he had the money to pay his own _________.
A. life B. way C. road D. expense
4. The election results would make it clear which of the parties had _________ .
A. changed hands B. lived hand to mouth C. had its hands full D. gained the upper hand
5. Doctors feel that their only option is to treat the cancer _________ .
A. graciously B. inadvertently C. vehemently D. aggressively
6. Please don’t think I was _________, but I couldn’t help overhearing what you said.
A. gossiping B. eavesdropping C. monitoring D. speculating
7. Nowadays, information is _______ instantaneously by satellites and other forms of
telecommunication.
A. dispersed B. posted C. retained D. retrieved
8. The nervous job candidate took a deep breath and tried to _________ herself.
A. subdue B. compose C. wrestle D. strike
9. You’ll feel much better once you’ve got it _______. Just go and tell her exactly what happened.
A. at arm’s length B. off your chest C. behind your back D. in the neck
10. _______ your anger at work is not a very good idea. You should show more restraint.
A. Steering B. Decreeing C. Asserting D. Venting

Read the text and fill each gap with the correct form of the word in capitals.
Most of the City streets were cobbled. The rare sidewalks were reserved for pedestrians by only a line of
posts. Sometimes the road surface sloped down to a central drain which was usually blocked with rubbish.
Main streets were prone to traffic (1)___________________ (BOTTLE); at least no modern City driver
has had to face a drove of turkeys being driven to their last home in City storehouses. Side streets were
(2)__________________ (PUNCTUAL) by narrow alleys, barely wide enough for two pedestrians to
pass.
Sign boards hung from almost every house; in theory they were supposed to be nine feet off the ground, to
give room for a man on a horse to pass (3)___________________ (UNDER). Their meaning was
sometimes conveyed by an elaborate code. An elephant showed where combs of ivory and other materials
could be bought. Adam and Eve offered apples and other fruits.
(4)___________________ (HOUSE) had a duty to hang out a candle or a lantern from dusk until nine
o’clock during the winter. However, from the frequency with which this duty had been repeated by City
regulations since the fourteenth century, one can only suppose it was not generally observed. Mostly the
City streets were (5)___________________ (LIGHT) or dark.
City authorities had tried for centuries, with only partial success, to discourage ‘noxious’ trades from
operating in the City, their main market. Even when these trades obeyed the rules and stayed away from
the City, (6)___________________ (AIR) pollution was blown in from across the river.

READING

Read the text and fill each gap with ONE suitable word.

If you go through a list of the latest developments in technology, you will find that most of them have
(1)____________________ the way we communicate in some way. Thanks to the Internet,
communication has become amazingly fast. It has brought about innovations such as email, instant
messaging and even video chatting. Social networking websites are the (2)____________________ of the
day, and have given (3)____________________ to the concept of social media marketing. From business
networking to personal contact, communication has never been as fast and easy as it is now. The latest
gadgets and gizmos have become part and (4)____________________ of life. No matter where we are, or
what we're doing, we can contact our loved ones at any time of the day.

In seeking (5)____________________ to the issue of technology's demerits, we need not look far. With
the threat of Internet scams increasing every day, and cyber security becoming a global issue,
governments everywhere are trying hard to (6)____________________ cyber access. Moreover, lifestyle
habits have changed drastically. Nowadays, psychologists are frequently using the
(7)____________________ 'Internet addiction' to address certain issues in the lives of people who are
constantly (8)____________________ to their screens.
How have we been affected by technology? The answer is that it has given us the
(9)____________________ to make a difference in our lives, but (10)____________________ if we use it
wisely. It all depends on us and what we do with it.

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Malnutrition and children's learning

A The impact of malnutrition on children's learning is not simply that they are tired and unable to
concentrate in class because they have not eaten enough on a given day. Malnutrition in the first 1000
days - from the start of a woman's pregnancy until her child's second birthday – has a devastating
impact on children's future potential. It restricts their cognitive development, means they are more
likely to be sick and miss out on school, and reduces their ability to learn.
B This 1000-day window is a critical time for structural brain development. Good maternal nutrition is
essential: pregnant or breastfeeding mothers who can't access the right nutrients are more likely to
have children with compromised brain development and who suffer from poor cognitive performance.
And once the child is born, nutrition continues to play a key role in ensuring the brain develops
properly. But the effects of malnutrition on a child's cognitive development and education go beyond
the biology of the brain. A child's nutritional status can impact on the experiences and stimulation that
children receive. Parents sometimes treat a malnourished boy or girl differently because they are
small, and this child is also more likely to miss school and key learning opportunities due to illness.
C The impact is not just on academic achievement. Malnutrition is associated with children having
lower self-esteem, self-confidence and career aspirations. Malnourished children not only face direct
damage to their bodies and minds, but are less confident to learn and aspire to change the situation
they were born into.
D In the longer term, malnutrition can have a big impact on earnings when children reach adulthood.
The effects of malnutrition on physical stature, the ability to do physical work, and on cognitive
development, can lock children into poverty and entrench inequalities.
E Children who are malnourished go on to earn 20% less as adults than the children who are well
nourished. But there is some evidence that the difference could be even larger - one study has
estimated this earning deficit for malnourished children at 66%.
F This in turn means that malnutrition can act as a big barrier to economic growth. Estimates suggest
that in low- and middle-income countries, the impact of malnutrition could decrease GDP by between
2% and 11 %. This is partly a result of its impacts on educational development - as well as on
physical productivity and health.
G This report presents new estimates of malnutrition's effect on GDP. By extrapolating a 20% reduction
in earnings to a global level, this report shows that today's malnutrition could cost the global economy
as much as $125 billion when today's children reach working age in 2030.
H Investments in the potential of future generations are more important than ever before. With mortality
rates falling rapidly but fertility rates declining at a lower rate, developing countries will experience
an increase in the size of their working-age population in the next few decades. Many countries will
have two people of working age for every dependent. This presents them with a critical window of
opportunity to boost economic development, known as the 'demographic dividend'.
I The IMF has predicted that seven of the 10 fastest growing economies in the next five years will be in
Africa. Meanwhile, economists have identified the 'Next 11 ' countries - those that have the potential
for stellar economic growth in the next decade. A common theme in each of these countries is the
potential provided by their demographic structures.
J But to capitalize on the demographic dividend, developing countries must invest now in the health
and skills of their future workforce. Investments made now in proven nutrition interventions could
increase opportunities for millions of children to become more healthy and productive members of
society. The next generation of children in developing countries could fuel improved innovation,
prosperity and job creation.
K But if we fail to make that investment the consequences could be catastrophic. Not only would that
leave a future public health disaster - with a huge burden placed on health systems by a generation of
people left more susceptible to disease by malnutrition - but also an economic crisis. If countries are
not able to take advantage of the opportunities presented by demographic changes, then in 50 to 60
years' time they will be left with a large cohort of elderly dependents without having generated the
resources to care for them.

Questions 1-4
Which paragraphs contain the following information? Write A-K.
1 the psychological impact of malnutrition _____
2 the effect of parental attitudes on children's educational opportunities _____
3 the cost to the world economy of childhood malnutrition _____
4 the influence of childhood malnutrition on the national economy of individual nations _____
Questions 5-9
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the passage? Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims.
NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims.
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

5 In developing nations, birth rates are falling at a slower rate than death rates.
6 All the countries with the most promising prospects for expansion in the next 10 years are in Africa
7 Malnutrition has a direct effect on both physical and intellectual development.
8 Poor nutrition during pregnancy does not affect the development of the child's brain.
9 It is essential for developing nations to devise strategies for taking care of the sick.
Questions 10- 13
Answer questions 10- 13 with words from the text. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

10 How can the cognitive development of babies be assured before birth?

_________________________________________________
11 What is the main cause of absenteeism from school in underfed children?
_________________________________________________
12 What factor most supports the future economic expansion of the 'Next 11' countries?
_________________________________________________
13 Who would benefit most immediately from effective nutritional programmes in developing countries?
_________________________________________________
Part 4: Read a newspaper article about the fashion industry. Seven paragraphs have been removed from
the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A - H the one which fits each gap (1 - 7). There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need to use.

The Online Tastemakers

How bloggers changed the face of fashion marketing
How you quantify real online influence remains a subject of much debate in the fashion industry. For
many, however, the defining moment came back in 2011. The story began when a major US fashion chain
store, known for colourful, funky pieces, sent a dress with navy and red stripes to a few celebrity friends.
Coincidentally, and in the space of four weeks, all wore the dress in public. Before you could say, 'What a
cute outfit', various blog sites had written about this sartorial mind meld. Within a week, the store had
nearly sold out of the $49.90 item, which means that, according to the estimates of one industry expert,
they had moved in excess of ten thousand dresses.
1.__________
In the past, the correct interpretation would probably have been the former; it is received wisdom in the
fashion industry that celebrities sell clothes. Yet some people are in no doubt that this was the moment
when things changed. For these commentators, it was the bloggers who were behind that striped dress
becoming so covetable.
2.__________
These were not, however, necessarily the same bloggers who had first gained the fashion industry's
attention a few years previously. Those were primarily fashion fans with laptops, embraced for their
idiosyncratic take on fashion and invited to sit in the front row at catwalk events, the seats traditionally
reserved for the powerful editors of glossy magazines.
3.__________
The newer breed of bloggers was different. Focusing on red-carpet events and celebrities, they played into
several contemporary trends: a fascination with famous people, especially reality TV stars; our desire to
cut through large amounts of information quickly; and the ability of online sites to drive sales. For the
most part, these blogs are distinguishable from the earlier wave because they've been conceived from the
outset as commercial enterprises, albeit presented in the format of a blog.
4.__________
The kind of business such referrals started to generate caused a shift in thinking at some fashion brands
about the best way to reach consumers. When they blogged about people wearing things, they were adding
another level of endorsement. Brands soon realised that rather than spend a huge amount on advertising
and marketing, they'd be better off targeting the bloggers.
5.__________
But with all this going on, bow was an independent blogger to work more closely with a brand whilst
simultaneously retaining what, for many, made them worth reading in the first place? That sense that
bloggers are just like me, only more obsessive; that we respond to them as readers because we assume a
purity in their approach; they are, we imagine, doing it for fun, not leveraging for profit?
6.__________
Looking back, it is possible to see a familiar pattern emerging. It had happened with those who rejected
fashion's rules (hippies, punks), just as it happened with those who wanted to be ironic and distant from
fashion (Tom Ford's early Gucci) and it had already happened with the first wave of bloggers. At the end
of the day, the fashion industry absorbed the trends and made them mainstream. For independent bloggers,
the process started with that striped dress.
7.__________
And this makes sense and it is something that blog followers, who are not so easily manipulated as might
be supposed, can appreciate - in the same way that they can see when something is branded. At the end of
the day, they could ask themselves the questions, 'Do you really want that dress because a particular
blogger showed it to you and you liked the blog?' and 'Did the blogger show you that dress because the
brand asked them to?'
A And it didn't stop at incentives either. One high-end retailer reportedly even started holding
workshops to give its key bloggers tips on how to make their blogs more shoppable, thereby ensuring
that potential clients need look no further.
B Celebrity weeklies were increasingly taking their cues from hot blogger stories and this one was
picked up everywhere. What's more, it was not only blogs about celebrities that were having an
impact. People writing about everything from watches to their own lives were becoming more
influential.
C In other words, the garment had gone viral. But the question remained: Did this occur because A-
listers were shown wearing the item and consumers wanted to be just like them, or was it because key
fashion bloggers picked, from the thousands of images they sift through each day, those particular
pictures to feature?
D Paradoxically, therefore, it became quite possible that their very success could ultimately be their
undoing. In this, they were simply the latest iteration of a recurring theme: fashion's ability to identify,
and co-opt, an influential minority.
E Some from this earlier generation subsequently parlayed their fame into paid consultancies or jobs
with brands. Unsurprisingly, given their many thousand followers, the brands loved them, and were
keen to bring them into the fold.
F Some retailers, many of them also etailers, started doing exactly that, zooming in on blogs in an
attempt to facilitate sales at the point of inspiration. Potential customers were online every single
moment of the day, and wherever they were, they were also shopping. Brands were trying to close the
gap between seeing an item and buying it.
G The emergence of such pseudo-blogs underlines a shift that was happening across the blogosphere at
that time. There were still people doing it solo, but there were now many other blogs, owned by media
companies and set up as digital platforms. In the world of celebrity fashion blogs, these included
collective blogs reviewing celebrity style and directing viewers to retailer sites.
H What's more, one prominent blogger believes commercial tie-ups are an inevitable result of blogging
becoming, for some, a business. She says, 'As more and more of the most influential bloggers moved
from blogging part-time to making it the main focus of their professional activity, they are necessarily
looking for ways to monetise their influence in order to make a living.'