UAB

IDIOMA B PER A TRADUCTORS I INTÈRPRETS

ANGLÈS B1 – 2022/23

Course code: 101480

 Contents
Unit One: Reading 3 - 37

Unit Two: Summary 38 - 63

Unit Three: Writing 64 - 78

Unit Four: Listening 79 - 93

Unit Five: Use of English 94 - 109

Unit Six: Bits & Pieces 110 – 123

Final exam 124 – 131

2
 Reading 1 - Words in Context I
Without using a dictionary, or a mobile, attempt to provide definitions for the following words in English in the
column marked "before reading". Where you can provide no definition, write an 'X' in the corresponding box.

Words Before reading After reading

Cap

Plain

Plastic

Aphasia

Heedless

Entranced

Dubbed

Proved

Fit

Bound

Wielded

3
Group A

Text 1.

... In a world of limits, some rights are more sacred than others, some wrongs more deserving
of punishment. Not every unfairness derives from the violation of a right. Robert Nagel,
professor of law at the University of Colorado, warns, “The rights makers are like children
with toys, so delighted and entranced by them they want more and more, heedless of the
consequences." Consider “lookism”, as the practice of preferring the pretty over the plain is
called in rights “jurisprudence”. In the Harvard Law Review, Adam Cohen of the American
Civil Liberties Union argues that ugly people need to be protected against discrimination too.

Source: M. Carlson (1993) ‘And Now, Obesity Rights,’ Time, 6.12.1993

Text 2.

An open-air concert of Wagner's Tannhäuser, performed by the Royal Danish Orchestra in

Copenhagen, was dubbed 'the highlight of the summer' by Denmark's opera enthusiasts.
But for Katanda, an okapi in nearby Copenhagen Zoo, it all proved too much. In a warm-up
session, with the loudspeakers at full volume, the okapi threw a fit, collapsed on the floor and
died.

Source: C Mersh and M. Bond (1994) "Okapi ~ Victim of the Opera" The European, 12-18.8.1994

Text 3.

Most trade and scholarly books are bound in hard covers. Such bindings are called cases, or
case bindings, and are usually constructed of laminated cardboard covered with cloth, treated
paper, or plastic.

Source: The Chicago Manual of Style, 4th ed. (1993) Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press

4
Group B
Text 1.

Everyone knows that it is much more difficult to learn a second language in adulthood than a
first language in childhood. Most adults never master a foreign language, especially the
phonology - hence the ubiquitous foreign accent. Their development often "fossilises" into
permanent error patterns that no teaching or correction can undo. Of course, there are great
individual differences, which depend on effort, attitudes, amount of exposure, quality of
teaching and plain talent, but there seems to be a cap even for the best adults in the best
circumstances. Acquisition of normal language, guaranteed for children up to the age of six, is
steadily compromised from then on until shortly after puberty, and is rare thereafter. A
possible cause of this phenomenon is the fact that during the early school-age years, the brain
goes through maturational changes which include a decline in the number of neurons, a
bottoming out of the number of synapses formed and a lowering of metabolic rate. We do
know that the language-learning circuitry of the brain is more plastic in childhood; children
learn or recover language when the left hemisphere of the brain is damaged or even surgically
removed (though not quite at normal levels), but comparable damage in an adult usually leads
to permanent aphasia.
Source: S. Pinker (1994)The Language Instinct. New York: William Morrow and Co.

Text 2.

Watch a few films or TV programmes in Italy that have been dubbed from English and you
are bound to catch a Grande! (large) or a Grandioso! (grand) voiced over a 'Great!' But
although they fit beautifully from a labial point of view, they have never been really suitable
or natural Italian expressions.
Source: N.J Ross (1995) ‘Dubbing American in Italy’, English Today 41, Vol. 11, No. 1.

Text 3. Occam's Razor

William of Ockham ("Occam" is the Latin spelling), an English theologian of the early
fourteenth century, is, at best, obscure today. Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus are superstars
by comparison, and yet it is Occam, whose thought prefigured modernity.

The one thing some people do remember is Occam's so-called "razor," the logical implement
he wielded to trim absurdities out of arguments. Occam's maxim was that the simpler an
explanation is, the better it is; the more uncomplicated an explanation of an event is, the more
likely it is to be true. In other words, if it isn't necessary to introduce complexities or
hypothetical elements into an argument, don't do it; not only will the result be less elegant and
convincing, it will also less likely be correct. One hypothetical question that Occam’s razor
dispensed with was the existence of God. Not that he didn't believe God exists, of course; he
just thought you couldn't prove it, because to do so you had to resort to rather complex (and
incredible) arguments.

Source: M. Macrone (1994) Eureka! What Archimedes Really Meant and 80 Other Key Ideas Explained, New
York: Harper Collins

5
 Reading 2 – Words in Context II
Scan the dictionary entry below for the definition which best fits the meaning of the word ‘scratches’ as it is used in the
following sentences. Write the part of speech and number of the definition in the space provided next to each sentence.

1. The police interrogated the suspect in the murder case regarding the multiple
scratches on his face and torso.
2. The professor informed the student that his writing abilities were "definitely
not up to scratch".
3. The experiment having failed, the scientists were resigned to discarding their
original hypothesis and starting once again from scratch.
4. Due to an untimely case of indigestion, the runner from Australia had to be
scratched from the marathon.

scratch (scrach) vt. [LME. scracchen, prob. Altered < scratten, to scratch, after cracchen < or
akin to MDU. cratsen, to scratch <IE. base *gred-, whence Alb. gërüj . (I) scratch] 1. to mark,
break, or cut the surface slightly with something pointed or sharp 2. to tear or dig with the
nails or claws 3. a) to rub or scrape lightly, as with the fingernails, to relieve itching, etc. b) to
chafe 4. to rub or scrape with a grating noise [to scratch a match on a wall] 5. to write or draw
hurriedly or carelessly 6. to strike out or cancel (writing, etc.) 7. to gather or collect with
difficulty; scrape (together or up) 8. Politics: to strike out the name of (a candidate) on (a
party ticket or ballot) in voting other than a straight ticket 9. Sports to withdraw an entry from
a contest, specific: from a horse race –
vi. 1. to use nails or claws in digging or wounding 2. to rub or scrape the skin lightly, as with
the fingernails, to relieve itching, etc. 3. to manage to get by; scrape by 4. to make a harsh,
scraping noise 5. to withdraw from a race or contest 6. in certain card games, to score no
points 7. Billiards, Pool, to commit a scratch - n. 1. the act of scratching 2. a mark or tear
made in a surface by something sharp or rough 3. a wound, usually superficial, inflicted by
nails, claws, or something pointed pulled across the skin, etc. 4. a slight grating or scraping
sound 5. a hasty mark, as of a pen; scribble 6. the starting line of a race 7. in certain card
games, a score of zero 8. [Slang] money 9. Billiards. Pool: a) a shot that results in a penalty b)
a miss 10. Sports a) the starting point or time of a contestant who receives no handicap b)
such a contestant c) an entry withdrawn from a contest –
adj. 1. used for hasty notes, preliminary or tentative figuring, etc. [scratch paper] 2. starting
from scratch; having no handicap or allowance in a contest 3. put together in haste and
without much selection [a scratch team] 4. Baseball designating a chance hit credited to a
batter for a ball not hit sharply, but on which the batter reaches base safely –
exp. from scratch 1. from the starting line, as in a race 2. from nothing, without advantage –
scratch the surface to consider, or affect something superficially -- up to scratch 1. toeing
the mark; ready to start a race, contest, etc. 2. [Colloq.] ready to meet difficulties, start on an
enterprise, etc. 3. [Colloq.] up to standard; acceptable; good --- scratcher n.

(Source: Guralnik, David, ed. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language New York: Prentice Hall, 1986)

6
 Reading 3 - Words in Context III
Without using a dictionary, or a mobile, attempt to provide definitions for the following words in English in the column
marked "before reading". Where you can provide no definition, write an 'X' in the corresponding box .

At this stage you should also underline those words you were unfamiliar with, but which you think you have guessed from context and
circle those words which you do not understand and cannot guess from context. Check with a dictionary, mobile or your teacher to see if
your guesses were correct. Those words you could not guess from context may well be words that are worth looking up and learning.

Words Before reading After reading

Gay

Unique

Binge

Buzzwords

Hyperobject

Catfishing

Woke

Autofiction

Gaslighting

Shadow
banking

Masculinity

Generation
Why

Ghosting

7
Changing Language in a Shifting World

Too often the wider public have a tendency to believe that a language is basically static, that words acquire a
meaning that never changes. Anyone who has lived long enough will be able to dismiss this idea as an obvious
falsehood. Take the English word gay for example. Forty years ago this word simply meant that you were happy
and carefree. Now using gay in that way is almost impossible. The word has taken on a single new meaning -
homosexual. When modern readers find an old book in which its former significance appears, this can lead to
sniggers or outright laughs, or even worse, to a major misunderstanding: "Charles is such a gay man" meant
something very different until the 1970s.

Other words that have shifted in this way include unique, which used to mean there was only one of the object,
but now has generalised into "very unusual". Binge is another word that has spread its wings. Once confined to
excessively drinking alcohol, it can now refer to excessive consumption of food and even of episodes of a series
on Netflix. Yet other words have acquired new meanings due to the internet, such as troll which has gone from
a fairy tale creature being fond of living under bridges to meaning a person who hides behind a false identity
and stirs up trouble among members of an internet community.

The significance of words does not just morph into other meanings. Social and technological changes bring with
them a mass of new words that are either adapted from existing words or coined, completely fresh, for example:
upload, download, surfing, the cloud, to google, etc. We now turn to look in more depth at some words or
concepts which are likely to become buzzwords (on everyone's lips) in the very near future.

Hyperobject

The term ‘hyperobject’ was coined by the academic Timothy Morton. It refers to phenomena that are
so large and so far beyond the human frame of reference that they are not susceptible to reason. He
gives as an example global warming (which he also calls ‘the end of the world’), a phenomenon
instigated by humanity, but in the context of which we may now be insignificant. But the term is
evocative in other ways: is the global financial system now in a sense a hyperobject?

Catfishing
This word would make more sense if it referred to fishing for cats, but today it refers to people who
construct false identities online and, whether out of boredom, loneliness or malice, lure other people
into continued messaging correspondence, thereby building false relationships with them.

Woke
As in ‘roused to political self-awareness’, with the hopeful connotation that one won’t be going back
to sleep anytime soon. The term originated in the US black civil rights movement of the 1960s and
1970s. It has made a second-wave comeback recently as African Americans in the US came to the
realization that racism never really went away, it just camouflaged its fundamental failure of empathy
as tolerance. The term has recently been making the short jump to other secondary- (eg LGBT) and
tertiary (eg feminism) phase civil rights movements equally lulled by the illusion of tolerance. The
goal is to go beyond feeling tolerated to being fully accepted and welcomed.

Autofiction
This is writing that merges autobiography and fiction, and freely transgresses other genre boundaries as well.
The term has come to be applied to contemporary fiction dominated by the author’s unreliable subjectivity. (The
point being that all subjectivity is unreliable.) Writers of this sort are Chris Kraus (whose 1997 novel I Love
Dick became a cult feminist classic, spawning a 2017 TV series). The approach has strongly influenced Lena
Dunham, the creator of the TV series Girls, and has given rise to a genre of navel-gazing (introspective)
television. Critics of this approach blame the influence of contemporary creative writing programs (whose
guiding principles are ‘write what you know’ or ‘find your voice’). Critics decry its wilful disregard of history,
and complain that it is narcissism that panders to the ‘me’ generation.

8
Gaslighting
In George Cukor’s 1944 film Gaslight, a man attempts to convince his wife that she’s mad in order to
get her committed to an insane asylum and swindle her. Inherent in this story is a struggle over the
empirical nature of reality: are there solid truths, or is reality only a matter of perception? Gaslighting
has become a byword for psychological manipulation, with experts offering tips on how to know if
you’re a victim of the behaviour. In the present era, where potent advertising and PR forces are doing
everything in their power to make truth irrelevant and directly hack our minds, and where politicians
no longer seem to acknowledge the existence of facts, the word has sinister new applications.

Shadow banking
This is currently at the top of the list of concerns about the global financial system. It is argued that we
need to understand the jargon-filled language of the economic elites, because otherwise they will write
their own rules. Shadow banking consists of any financial transactions carried out by institutions
without a formal banking licence, in other words institutions that are not directly regulated or overseen
by government bodies. Examples of these are credit card companies, insurance companies, PayPal and,
of course, the growth of digital currencies such as Bitcoin. Nobody knows how large this sector is, but
current estimates put shadow banking at roughly twice the GDP of the entire Earth. These sectors were
heavily involved in creating the 2008 crash... and have remained almost unaltered since then.

Masculinity
We used to think we knew what masculinity meant, but now it is going out of focus. A rapidly
changing context is the cause. There was a time when you’d ask a man what masculinity was and his
response would be something like ‘not feminine’ (pejorative) and ‘not queer’ (pejorative). Note all the
negativity. These days it is increasingly a good thing to be a woman (new, broad definition) and to be
queer (new, broad definition). Both are eating away at the old territory occupied by masculinity.
What’s left is something of a void, aka ‘the crisis of masculinity’. The challenge ahead for men is to
formulate what they are, and want to be, rather than what they are not.

Generation Why?
The pun comes from a brilliant and prescient Zadie Smith. It refers to millennials, but can be applied to
anyone born in the digital age. To clarify our terms here: Baby Boomers are the generation born after
World War Two and before 1965; Generation X those born between the mid-1960s and 1980;
Generation Y (Millennials) includes those born between 1980-ish and 2000; Generation Z (Post-
Millennials) being anyone born after 2000. The gist of Smith’s argument is that Facebook and its like
are reductive: they cut us down to size and reprogramme us to suit their own ends, which are
advertising and selling things – exploitation. Generations Y and Z have led lives saturated by the
internet, by social media platforms and apps, which have claimed to make life complete and have all of
the answers all of the time. It remains to be seen whether this generation will eventually rebel against
this manipulation or succumb to it.

Ghosting
In the 2017 film A Ghost Story, a happy man dies suddenly in a car accident and ends up being a ghost.
He returns to his family home to linger spectrally, under a generic bed sheet with eyeholes cut in it,
watching helplessly as his family continues life without him. Hovering in his sheet, he is the essence of
loneliness. He is trapped in a supernatural realm, with no human interaction. From this comes the new
use of the word as "ghosting". If you are being ghosted it means no one has been returning your text
messages and DMs and you are in danger of being trapped in digital limbo, condemned forever to float
around as a ghost emoji. If this occurs to you, I suggest you take the digital sheet off and go find
something better to do.

9
 Reading 4 – Words in Context IV
"Lost in Translation" and "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl"
Before you read, discuss the following information and question with a partner.
The first reading in this section portrays the difficulties of a Polish-Canadian family. This memoir is
told from the point of view of Eva, a thirteen-year-old girl from Poland. Along with her mother, father,
and sister Alinka, she becomes an immigrant to Canada after World War II. The second reading is
about a Chinese-American family. This story is told from the point of view of ten-year-old Elizabeth.
She and her brother were born in the United States. Do you think these families will have many things
in common, or do you think they will be very different?

Lost in Translation
"In Poland, I would have known how to bring you up, I would have known what to do," my mother says
wistfully, but here, she has lost her sureness, her authority. She doesn't know how hard to scold Alinka when she
comes home at late hours; she can only worry over her daughter's vague evening activities. She has always been
gentle with us, and she doesn't want, doesn't know how, to tighten the reins. But familial bonds seem so
dangerously loose here!
Truth to tell, I don't want the fabric of loyalty and affection, and even obligation, to unravel either. I don't want
my parents to lose us; I don't want to betray our common life. I want to defend our dignity because it is so
fragile, so beleaguered. There is only the tiny cluster, the four of us, to know, to preserve whatever fund of
human experience we may represent. And so I feel a kind of ferociousness about protecting it. I don't want us to
turn into perpetually cheerful suburbanites, with hygienic smiles and equally hygienic feelings. I want to keep
even our sadness, the great sadness from which our parents have come.
I abjure my sister to treat my parents well; I don't want her to challenge our mother's authority, because it is so
easily challenged. It is they who seem more defenseless to me than Alinka, and I want her to protect them.
Alinka fights me like a forest animal in danger of being trapped; she too wants to roam throughout the thickets
and meadows. She too wants to be free.
My mother says I'm becoming "English." This hurts me, because I know she means I'm becoming cold. I'm no
colder than I've ever been, but I'm learning to be less demonstrative. I learn this from a teacher who, after
contemplating the gesticulations with which I help myself describe the digestive system of a frog, tells me to "sit
on my hands and then try talking." I learn my new reserve from people who take a step back when we talk,
because I am standing too close, crowding them. Cultural distances are different, I later learn in a sociology
class, but I know it already. I learn restraint from Penny, who looks offended when I shake her by the arm in
excitement, as if my gesture had been one of aggression instead of friendliness. I learn it from a girl who pulls
away when I hook my arm through hers as we walk down the street - this movement of friendly intimacy is an
embarrassment to her.
I learn also that certain kinds of truth are impolite. One shouldn't criticize the person one is with, at least nor
directly. You shouldn't say, "You are wrong about that" - although you may say, "On the other hand, there is
that to consider." You shouldn't say, "This doesn't look good on you," though you may say, "I like you better in
that other outfit." I learn to tone down my sharpness, to do a more careful conversational minuet.
Perhaps my mother is right after all; perhaps I'm becoming colder. After a while, emotion follows action,
response grows warmer or cooler according to gesture. I'm more careful about what I say, how loud I laugh,
whether I give vent to grief. The storminess of emotion prevailing in our family is in excess of the normal here,
and the unwritten rules for the normal have their osmotic effect.

10
Read this information and fill in the values chart that follows the text.
Being a teenager is difficult under any conditions. It is easy to understand how much more complicated it can be
when a family immigrates to a new country. Such was the case for Eva Hoffman. Born in Poland in 1945 to
Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors, she left her homeland at age thirteen with her parents and sister
to start a new life in Canada. In her autobiography, Lost in Translation, she tells about the impact this move had
on her and her family.
Ms. Hoffman takes us on the journey from Old World Cracow to New World Vancouver; this journey prepared
her for her later years at Harvard University and her literary career in New York, where she now works as an
editor for the New York Times Book Review. Eva Hoffman writes the story of all immigrants. She describes how
her Polish identity was transformed into a new Canadian identity as she underwent the physically and
emotionally exhausting process of learning to communicate in English. In their attempts to "translate" the
essence of their personalities from one language and culture to another, don't all immigrants find themselves
both linguistically and culturally "lost in translation"?
Although Elizabeth Wong, who was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1958, was not an immigrant herself, she
too may have understood Eva Hoffman's feeling of being "lost in translation" as a young girl. In "The Struggle
to Be an All-American Girl," she writes how she was torn between two cultures and how she continually
resisted her Chinese mother's attempts to get her to learn Chinese and be aware of her cultural background. Ms.
Wong is a playwright, a teacher of playwriting, and a writer for television.

Read the statements below about the cultural values expressed in the stories that follow. Do you agree or
disagree with these statements? Circle yes or no. After you study the readings, you will be asked to return to this
section to compare the authors' points of view with your own.

STATEMENTS YOUR OPINION READING ONE READING TWO

1. Children have more
difficulty adapting to a new
culture than their parents do. Yes/No

2. When people move to

another culture, their native
language becomes more Yes/No
important to them.

3. Parents lose authority over

their children when the
family moves to another Yes/No
culture.

4. Families become closer

when they must adapt to a
new culture. Yes/No

5. People who move to a new

culture worry about betraying
or forgetting their old cultural Yes/No
traditions.

11
 The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl
It's still there, the Chinese school on Yale Street where my brother and I used to go. Despite the new coat of
paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains remarkably, stoically the same.
Every day at 5 P.M., instead of playing with our fourth- and fifth-grade friends or sneaking out to the empty lot
to hunt ghosts and animal bones, my brother and I had to go to Chinese school. No amount of kicking,
screaming, or pleading could dissuade my mother, who was solidly determined to have us learn the language of
our heritage. Forcibly, she walked us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, depositing our
defiant tearful faces before the stern principal. My only memory of him is that he swayed on his heels like a
palm tree and he always clasped his impatient, twitching hands behind his back. I recognized him as a repressed
maniacal child killer, and that if we ever saw his hands, we'd be in big trouble.
We all sat in little chairs in an empty auditorium. The room smelled like Chinese medicine, an imported faraway
mustiness, like ancient mothballs or dirty closets. I hated that smell. I favored crisp new scents like the soft
French perfume that my American teacher wore in public school. There was a stage far to the right, flanked by
an American flag and the flag of the Nationalist Republic of China, which was also red, white and blue but not
as pretty.
Although the emphasis at school was mainly language-speaking, reading and writing - the lessons always began
with exercises in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone
would get up, kowtow,'' and chant, "Sing san ho, the phonetic for "How are you, teacher?"
Being ten years old, I had better things to learn than ideographs copied painstakingly in lines that ran right to
left from the nib of a moc but, a real ink pen that had to be held in an awkward way if blotches were to be
avoided. After all, I could do the multiplication tables, name the satellites of Mars and write reports on Little
Women and Black Beauty. Nancy Drew, my favorite heroine, never spoke Chinese.
The language was a source of embarrassment. More times than not, I had tried to dissociate myself from the
nagging loud voice that followed me wherever I wandered in the nearby American supermarket outside
Chinatown. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a fragile woman in her seventies who could outshout the
best of the street vendors. Her humor was raunchy, her Chinese rhythmless, patternless. It was quick, it was
loud, it was unbeautiful. It was not like the quiet, lilting romance of French or the gentle refinement of the
American South. Chinese sounded pedestrian. Public.
In Chinatown, the comings and goings of hundreds of Chinese on their daily tasks sounded chaotic and frenzied.
I did not want to be thought of as mad, as talking gibberish. When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled
sweetly, said encouraging words. Even the people in my culture would cluck and say that I would do well in
life. "My, doesn't she move her lips fast," they would say, meaning that I'd be able to keep up with the world
outside Chinatown.
My brother was even more fanatical than I about speaking English. He was especially hard on my mother,
criticizing her, often cruelly, for her pidgin speech - smatterings of Chinese scattered like chop suey in her
conversation. "It's not 'What it is,' Mom," he'd say in exasperation. "It's 'What is it, what is it, what is it.'"
Sometimes Mom might leave out an occasional "the" or "a," or perhaps a verb of being. He would stop her in
mid-sentence: "Say it again, Mom. Say it right." When he tripped over his own tongue, he'd blame it on her:
"See, Mom, it's all your fault. You set a bad example."
What infuriated my mother most was when my brother cornered her on her consonants, especially "r." My
father had played a cruel joke on Mom by assigning her an American name that her tongue wouldn't allow her
to say. No matter how hard she tried, "Ruth" always ended up "Luth" or "Roof."
After two years of writing with a moc but and reciting words with multiples of meanings, I was finally granted a
cultural divorce. I was permitted to stop Chinese school.
I thought of myself as multicultural. I preferred tacos to egg rolls; I enjoyed Cinco de Mayo more than Chinese
New Year.
At last, I was one of you; I wasn't one of them.
Sadly, I still am.

12
 READING FOR MAIN IDEAS
Work in pairs. Go back to the previous chart. In the "Points of View: Reading One and Reading Two " columns
of the chart, put a checkmark next to the statements supported by the readings and an "x" next to the statements
not supported by them. Discuss your own answers with your partner. Are your answers different from the
answers expressed by the authors of these readings?

READING FOR DETAILS

Compare and contrast the cultural customs of Poland and Canada as Eva describes them in "Lost in
Translation." Try to find at least five examples.

Polish Ways Canadian Ways

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

5
5

13
Compare and contrast Elizabeth's attitude toward Chinese things and her attitude toward American things when she was
young, as told in "The Struggle to Become an All-American Girl." Try to find at least five examples.

Elizabeth's Attitude Toward Chinese Things Elizabeth's Attitude Toward American Things

1. 1.

2.
2.

3.
3.

4.
4.

5.
5.

READING BETWEEN THE LINES

Based on what is implied in the readings, discuss with your partner who might have made the following
statements. In the blank space, write Ev (Eva), El (Elizabeth), B (both girls), or N (neither of them).

_____ 1. "My mother has no idea what I'm going through."

_____ 2. "I am hurt by my mother's criticism of me."'
_____ 3. "I miss the old country."
_____ 4. "I just want to fit in and stop thinking about the past."
_____ 5. "I feel comfortable in two cultures."
_____ 6. "Sometimes I want to express myself in one language and sometimes in another."
_____ 7. "Now that I am older, I regret losing so much of the past."
_____ 8. "When people just look at me, they don't really know who I am."

Answer the following questions based on your understanding of the readings. Then compare your answers with
those of your partner.
a. "'In Poland, I would have known how to bring you up, I would have known what to do,' my mother says
wistfully, but here, she has lost her sureness, her authority."'
Why do you think Eva's mother has lost her authority?
b. "I don't want us to turn into perpetually cheerful suburbanites, with hygienic smiles and equally hygienic
feelings."'
Explain the meaning of this statement.
c. At the end of the story, "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl," Elizabeth Wong writes, "At last, I was
one of you; I wasn't one of them. Sadly, I still am."
What do you think she means?

14
 Reading 5 – Multiple Choice I

Exercise 1 In the article below the writer talks about why people enjoy doing things that are potentially
bad for them. Read through the article quickly and think of a headline for each one.

Exercise 2 Read the text again. For questions 1- 6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which
you think fits best according to the text.

Chasing the highs

Why do people enjoy doing things which are potentially bad for them?

1
'That which does not kill us makes us stronger,' wrote Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher,
conceptualizing the idea that suffering is an inevitable and essential part of life. Is this still true when
we bring the misfortune upon ourselves, and end up with metal pins in our joints? A few weeks ago I
heard of an old school friend (to be known here as Dave) who ended up with fractures in both ankles
and his left wrist after failing to keep his grip while free climbing. My reaction, initially, was to
grimace, but then I got round to wondering why a man of his age would be risking life and limb on a
sheer rock face. I can't help feeling he was showing off, under the delusion that at 40 he was at his
physical peak. His mother refused to pay a hospital visit, reportedly disgusted at his egoistic risk-
taking, although surely this is the person she brought him up to be.

2
So what is the allure of extreme sports and living life on the edge? According to recent research, we
can blame it all on dopamine, the chemical which helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centres.
It's responsible for providing a sense of contentment after a meal or that ecstatic feeling
when our soccer team wins. It's also responsible for the high we feel when we do something brave, like
swimming with sharks. Studies show that in the risk-taker's brain, there are fewer dopamine-inhibiting
receptors. In other words, the Daves of this world have brains more saturated with the chemical,
meaning they'll keep taking risks and chasing the next high . The researchers are now working on a
treatment, yet I don't envisage much uptake from the daredevils 'suffering' this condition.

15
3
People don't just do this sort of thing in their free time, though. Last night, I happened across a battered
Brad Pitt-lookalike flying across my TV screen, explosions still firing off in the background. This was
'Body Double', a cut-above-the-rest documentary about the lives of stuntmen and women that stand in
for the stars. Ironically, as a behind-the-scenes look at a career in Hollywood, nothing felt staged; rare
for modern television. But it was the quieter moments of candid reflection that stood out, with some of
the doubles expressing their anxiety to the presenter over the longevity of their career. This is hardly
surprising, given the amount of physical punishment that is continuously self-inflicted: neck injuries,
burns, torn ligaments; the list goes on. The last word went to Jake, who'd quit his promising career as
an actor, and had been lured into stunt work because, as he put it, there'd be no dull moments. The
famed camaraderie that exists amongst those in the profession was also a big drawcard, and perhaps
it's this that keeps him signing contracts, despite his wife's protestations.

4
While hurtling at lOO mph towards the ground or leaping across rooftops will never be my thing, I
confess to a love of horror movies. I take curious and enormous pleasure from being half-scared to
death, to the point where I'm near-paralysed. Looking at the growth of the horror-flick industry, I'm not
alone. But why do we do it? One explanation is that when you're on the edge of your cinema seat, you
can benefit from what seems a life-or-death situation, with the advantage of realizing, a mere moment
later and with joyful relief, that it's not. From the evolutionary perspective, it's been suggested that
we've developed to find terrifying moments mesmerizing so as to ensure that we study would-be
threats to survival. There's little research to back this up, though.

5
Taking pleasure from activities which are potentially harmful or terrifying to ourselves is one thing; deriving a
form of entertainment, it says little for human evolution. The Germans refer to this phenomenon as
Schadenfreude, a concept that other languages may not have an equivalent single word for, but which seems to
be nonetheless understood by the inhabitants of today's 'global village'.What with the exponential rise of internet
video clips, it is now possible to view the humiliation of thousands of strangers on demand. If you want to see
someone diving unwittingly into a frozen lake; it's online. How about a man being attacked by an angry deer?
Click on 'Play'. As a form of entertainment, it says little for human evolution. But as life becomes more
comfortable, and in a society where most of our basic needs are met, one has to wonder what new thrills we'll
seek out next, and what we're prepared to sacrifice for that ephemeral feel-good factor.

16
1 After the writer had reflected on the news about his old school friend Dave,
A he felt some disapproval towards his behaviour.
B he was envious of his active lifestyle.
C he felt the accident was undeserved.
D he was sympathetic to Dave's mother's point of view.

2 When discussing dopamine and extreme sports, the writer puts forward the view that
A the findings of the dopamine research are hardly surprising.
B a lack of dopamine cannot fully account for the desire to live dangerously.
C risk-takers are unlikely to want their dopamine levels reduced.
D dopamine has a greater effect on the human body than some people think.

3 According to the writer, what was the most impressive aspect of the documentary?
A the use of previously unseen film footage
B the director's innovative style
C the interspersing of drama and fact
D the interviews with the subjects

4 Why did Jake become a stuntman?

A He liked the idea of working within a group of friendly people.
B He had been encouraged to have a go by others in the field.
C He had had unrealistic expectations about the nature of the job.
D He had been unsuccessful in an earlier line of work.

5 In the fourth paragraph, the writer is

A encouraging readers to experience horror movies for themselves.
B questioning the claims of people studying horror movies.
C downplaying the effect of horror movies on audiences.
D suggesting explanations for why people find horror movies enjoyable.

6 The writer mentions internet video clips to illustrate his suggestion that
A there is an element of risk in everything we do. ·
B the kind of risks people take may well become more extreme.
C the majority of people are not amused by other people's suffering.
D it makes more sense to laugh at other people's embarrassment than our own.

Exercise 3 Reacting to the text

Why do you think people take part in extreme sports or other potentially dangerous activities? Is it the
kind of activity that you would enjoy?

Do you agree with the writer when referring to extreme internet video clips that 'As a form of
entertainment, it says little for human evolution'?

17
 Reading 6 – Multiple Choice II

Exercise 1 You are going to read an article that was written in 1999. In the article, the author
talks about his experience of computers, email and the Internet.
How do you think that computers, email and the Internet have changed since 1999?
Think about size, speed, cost, functions, etc.

Exercise 2 You are going to read an article about someone who does not have a computer.
Six paragraphs have been removed from the extract.
Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap (1-6).
There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

UNPLUGGED
Martin Newell explains why he shuns computers and remains a devotee of 'snail mail'

I am an Internot. That is I have no, desire to be on the Internet. I am, of course, well aware of
the internet. Boy, am I aware of the Internet! The world is being overtaken by people setting
up websites, talking www-slash-dot.coms and worrying about updating and upgrading.

In fact, if I wanted to, I could sit in front of the computer, ordering whatever I wanted, whenever'
I wanted, 24 hours a day, and pay for it all electronically. But I don't have a computer. My friends,
who look upon me as a '.technological oddity', find it hard to· believe that I can 'still' find work. I can’t
drive a car, won’t fly and won't travel abroad anymore. I don't even have a mobile phone.

As a congenital sender .and receiver of snail mail, I can only remember about two occasions in 20-odd
years when a letter has gone astray. Exactly how, many bits of info has your machinery swallowed this
month, brave internaut? There is the access to information, though. While doing some research on a
fairly esoteric subject earlier this year, I was told by a friend that 37 internet pages existed upon the
matter. He downloaded them for me.

As for the actual equipment itself, computers are so unattractive and bulky. Buying a laptop I can
understand, because you can.put it away. But all that dreadful grey-white office junk in your living
space?

18
4
I almost upgraded to a computer once but decided that a piano would be more fun, so I spent the
money having one fork-lifted up into my first-floor living room. While others are getting neck-ache
and headaches and running up their phone bills, I've almost figured out how to play the first few bars
of Return to Sender.

5
It strikes me, though, that the main reason the internet exists is not as a medium for spreading
the joys of music, but more for the purpose of shopping and advertising. Now I know a little
bit about shopping, because I get on my bicycle and go to the greengrocer's every once in a while.

But perhaps by doing things in this quaint, old-fashioned way, I'm missing out on some of the financial
benefits of the whole computer culture. Companies are constantly undercutting each other. Full-page
newspaper ads are currently offering me the whole kit and caboodle and telling me that I can get
myself connected and surfing, all for under a thousand pounds. Wow! What a bargain! I could get an
electric organ fork-lifted, up here for that.

Seriously, though, there is, I suppose, an outside chance I will be forced onto the internet one day. By
that time, however, it will have devolved into one tiny little module about the size of an answering
machine, cost about 50 quid, and be instant, as well as idiot-proof for people like me.

A
There's also this marvellous little alternative to buying books on the Net: it's called my local bookshop.
It has human beings working in it. Whenever I want a particular book, I just walk down there or
telephone them, and they find it for me. Within a day or two I always have it.

B
Friends like these will spend hours, days eyen, in front of their ugly state-of-t he-art computers. As
they listen to music being broadcast on line from all four corners of the globe, they are subjected to a
constant bombardment of advertisements encouraging them to buy, buy, buy. Well, bye-bye, friends.

C
It has not escaped my attention that you can buy and sell houses on the Internet. You can book
holidays, buy a pool-table and, and so I hear, even get a divorce on the Internet. Were my dog to fall
seriously ill, I could even consult a vet on the Internet. Or maybe he's called the lntervet. ·

19
D
The information was largely superficial and in one or two cases, written by someone, who I suspect
was not entirely of this planet. In the end, I went to the local reference library, where a reassuringly
stern librarian plonked a huge pile of books on the table in front of me and said: 'That should be a
start.'I had everything I needed within an hour.

E
While we're on the subject, I hear that we can now download our music from the Net. I have only
recently completed the costly operation of replacing my vinyl record collection with CDs. I hope this
does not mean that these, too, will soon be obsolete.

F
My own word processor, with VDU, keyboard and printer all in one unit, is much more compact. It
can be quickly shoved in the cupboard when I'm not using it. In fact, even this is too ugly for me so I
glued a piece of tapestry on the space between the keyboard and the screen to make it look more
homely.

G
'But how will we get hold of you?' people ask, in a tone I usually associate with anguished parents
pleading with a runaway daughter calling from a phone box. Well, you can telephone me. Or fax me.
Or you could try writing me a letter. · ,

Exercise 3 Reacting to the text

Do you think it's possible for a person to manage without the Internet today? Why/Why not?

Which of the following are best done with a computer and which in the 'quaint, old fashioned
way'? Give reasons for your opinions

consulting reference works shopping storing photographs

raising capital for new business ventures writing letters booking holidays
promoting your talents playing games reading fiction

Since you first started using the Internet, what advances do you think have been made?
Is there anything about using the Internet that you find frustrating?
How do you think computers or similar communication devices will develop in the future?

20
 Reading 7 - Scanning
Scanning encyclopaedias and dictionaries for specific information

Text 1
Television. The transmission of black and-white visual images became technically feasible in the
UK at the end of the 1920s as a consequence of the competition between the Scottish inventor John
Logie Baird and the Russian-born engineer Isaac Shoenberg. Where Baird favoured a technique of
mechanical scanning - demonstrated in 1926, Shoenberg opted for electronic scanning, a more
successful system, adopted by the BBC for the world's first high-definition TV service in 1936. In
the US, the first public transmission was made in 1939 by the National Broadcasting Company at
the New York World's Fair. Further development was, however, delayed by the Second World War,
in which radio served as a powerful instrument of social solidarity and wartime propaganda.
Television developed rapidly after the war, especially in the US, and since the late 1950s, television
has been the dominant medium. Colour became available in 1954 and widespread in the 1960s, by
which time a TV set in every home was becoming the norm for Western countries. The use of
motion pictures, the creation of made-for-television films, the development of video recorders, and
the universality of satellite transmission have greatly extended the range of services. Millions of
viewers currently depend on their sets for the bulk of their news and entertainment. In tandem, the
adaptation of literary genres has continued, turning living-rooms into miniature theatres at the press
of a button. As a consequence of this dual revolution, a major part of the world's use of language is
in broadcasting and much of that broadcasting is in English. This is accounted for by the strong
initial position of the UK and the US in the development of radio and television and the
overwhelming predominance of the US in the making and marketing of motion pictures,
subsequently shown on television or specifically made for television. English language broadcasts
can now be picked up throughout the world and this has led to a widespread association of English
language broadcasting with modernity; an image that extends into print media, publishing, telephone
services and computer technology.

Source: Oxford Companion to the English Language

Questions on Text 1:

1. When did colour television become available?

2. When was the first television broadcast made in the USA? By whom? Where?
3. Name the two men associated with the initial invention of television technology.
4. What countries were they from?

Text 2
Telecommunications. Activity associated with telephone use has grown so greatly since the Second
World War that it is now generally known as telecommunications, the transmission of information
(words, sounds, or images) over often great distances primarily by telephone but also by telegraph,
radio and television. Over the last decade, there has been at least a six-fold increase in international
telephone communication. In the late 1980s, to measure the flow of this traffic, Gregory Staple and
Mark Mullins of the International Institute of Communications in London devised a statistical unit
called the minute of telecommunication traffic or MiTT, which measures contact by voice, fax, or
data transmission on public circuits. Their survey showed that, in gross terms, Americans are the
primary users of telephones, clocking up 5·3bn MiTTs in 1988. However, a comparative measure of

21
MiTTs per 1,000 people in a given territory showed that in 1988 Hong Kong led the field with
56,296 units (with one-third of these calls to China), followed by Singapore, Canada, the
Netherlands, and West Germany. On this scale, the U. S. ranked ninth, with 21,839 units per 1,000
(with a fifth to Canada, a tenth each to Britain and Mexico, then 7% to West Germany and 4% to
Japan). The next six receivers of U. S. calls, representing around 23%, were France, Italy, South
Korea, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and the Philippines. In contrast, nearly three quarters of
South Korea's outward calls and half of Taiwan's went to the U. S. and Japan, while Singapore spent
the same proportion, around 13%, on each of the following: Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the
United States. Europeans mainly called each other, except for the British, who made more than a
fifth of their calls to the U. S. Such links are axes of influence and interdependence, and provide a
means of mapping global relationships, in which English appears to have a major share.

Source: Oxford Companion to the English Language,1992

Questions on Text 2:

1. What is an MiTT, and what is it used for?

2. According to the data presented here, which country receives the most calls from the U.S.?
3. In what way is the telecommunications habit of the British different from those of other Europeans?
4. Which countries do the people of Taiwan call most often?

Text 3
Suriname, a republic on the north-eastern coast of South America, bordered by Guyana on
the west, Brazil on the south, and French Guiana on the east. The capital is Paramaribo.
Land and climate. The country consists largely of unexplored forested highlands and the flat
Atlantic coast. The climate is tropical, with heavy rains.
People and economy. The population is about 38% East Indian, 31% Creole, and 15%
Indonesian. Other groups include Europeans, Chinese, and Native Americans. The official
language is Dutch, but most people speak the Creole Sranang Tongo, Hindi, Javanese,
Chinese, English, French, and Spanish are also spoken. The most important product of the
economy is bauxite. The main crops are rice, sugar, fruits, coffee and bananas.
History. England ceded Suriname to the Dutch (1667) in exchange for New Amsterdam (now
New York City), and the country was subsequently known as Dutch Guiana. It became a
self-governing part of the Netherlands in 1554 and gained full independence in 1975. The first
years of independence were marked by an exodus of some 40,000 Surinamese to the
Netherlands and by border disputes with French Guiana and Guyana. A bloodless military
coup took place in 1980, but the country returned to democratic rule in 1988.

Source: The New Webster's International Encyclopaedia, p. 1053

Questions on Text 3:

1. What is the capital of Suriname?

2. What is the official language of Suriname?
3. When did Suriname become a fully independent country?
4. How many languages are spoken in Suriname?
6. What country borders on Suriname to the south?

22
 Reading 8 – Multiple Matching

You are going to read a newspaper article about working abroad. For questions 1–10 choose from the
sections (A–D). The sections may be chosen more than once.

In which section are the following mentioned?

how being conscious of the outside world can spur on important decision-making 1) _____

the fact that young people’s first jobs after university can present some difficult and unexpected
challenges 2) _____

the belief that living in a new environment results in a wish to embrace cultural differences 3) _____

a series of mishaps that caused the writer to question an earlier decision 4) _____

the fact that others might have a misconception of the experience 5) _____

some experiences being unpleasant but later turning into a source of entertainment 6) _____

the necessity to stand out if one wishes to be offered a job 7) _____

the need for an element of bravery when starting out abroad 8) _____

a complaint about young people’s lack of practical knowledge of the working world 9) _____

a sense of purpose upon return to university 10) _____

Pack your suitcase for a year working abroad

A
One month into my year interning abroad, I was sitting in a police station giving a statement in broken
French, and wondering if this was what my tutors had in mind when they told me I would gain ‘life
experience’. Having €300 stolen was the latest in a steady stream of events that had already tempted
me to give up, go home, and console myself with the fact that I tried.
Fast-forward nine months and I not only know that I made the right choice staying, but that working
abroad gives the unique opportunity to educate students in how to deal with the real world. One of
employers’ main gripes about the youth of today is that they have insufficient insight into life in the
workplace, so it makes sense to seek such experience now.
University might offer the chance to learn about and debate things that other people have
accomplished, but a year spent working away from this relative safety net allows students to realize their
own ambitions. The artificial bubble of campus life bursts onto the big wide world of work.

23
B
After three years of studying, exams and socializing with a set of people not too dissimilar from
themselves, students are often stuck struggling for direction or purpose and left simply wondering
what’s next. Working abroad teaches us to view education as ever-evolving; learning is not confined to
the constructed setting of lecture halls and seminar rooms, but rather can be continued throughout our
lives, making us adaptable and responsive to new situations as a result.
A placement abroad prepares for this tough jolt into the unknown world of work in a way that no
amount of essays or assessments can ever do. Living in another country and culture ensures situations
and challenges on a daily basis that are testing but ultimately offer the rewards of independence, self-
assurance and motivation.
My own experiences taught me to view each (mis)adventure as a learning curve and approach
problems with a level head, good judgement and healthy dose of humour. Sure, the initial sense of
being lost both literally and linguistically may not have been laugh-a-minute at the time, but every
situation led to a solution or encounter with interesting, vibrant new people and a fair few stories to
recount back at home.

C
Being planted into an unfamiliar setting nurtures openness, empathy and a deep-rooted understanding
of other ethnic groups. More importantly, it stimulates a desire to celebrate this. Of course, choosing to
work abroad isn’t an easy decision. It takes guts and an effort to plunge in head first. Even then, there
may be a significant gap between the reality of your life and how friends at home perceive it. Their
visions of interning in Paris around a romantic hub of activity and culture might be half-true, but this
misses out the less glamorous side of shocking levels of homelessness and realizing that not everyone
is in a position to find a ‘quick-fix’ solution to their problems.
While the same difficulties, are of course, to be found in England, they are somewhat shielded by the
security of campus life. It’s easy to become caught up in the quotidian activities of student life.

D
Moving to a foreign work environment allows perspective, putting studying into context. With this
awareness of wider world issues comes a certain level of maturity which can prompt students to make
choices about their own life paths. The struggle for a graduate job in today’s climate is part fight, part
intricate dance to showcase and prove your own skills and achievements against a background of
hundreds of capable candidates. A year abroad not only highlights a students’ skills but shows
employers that they have used them in a transferable context, again and again. Moreover, the taste of
work afforded ensures a real motivation to do well and a sense of direction once back in quotidian
student life.
Working abroad offers the chance to become well-rounded and reflect on your own career
aspirations. Interns are three times more likely to find a graduate job, according to a recent survey. In
addition to increased employment prospects, the year abroad is an incredible experience of meeting
new people, seeing new places and trying new things. Students can expect unexpected but valuable
adventures ahead – and yes, giving police statements in another language is included!

24
 Reading 9 – Machine Translation
The State of Play of Automatic (or Machine) Translation

P1 - Automatic translation has come a long way. In its earliest form it sought to simply replace a word
in one language with a word the programme had been informed had a similar meaning in another
language. Without context, the results were often farcical or totally meaningless. Then the companies
running machine translation facilities (such as Google, or Bing) started incorporating translations of
established texts such as the Bible, the novels of Dickens, Dostoyevsky, etc, and the quality improved
notably. After that came the boom in CAT tools and these companies began to buy up translation
memories by the millions. These represented translations effected by human translators that now
allowed machine translation engines to begin to seek out sentences which were similar to sentences in
their existing data banks on which to base their interpretations of new sentences fed into them by users.
This markedly enhanced the quality of automatic translations.

P2 - The next great leap forward was thanks to neural networks —computer algorithms that take
inspiration from the human brain. But training such networks requires an enormous amount of data:
millions of sentence-by-sentence translations to demonstrate how a human would do it. Now, two new
papers show that neural networks can learn to translate with no parallel texts—a surprising advance
that could make documents in many languages more accessible.

P3 - “Imagine that you give one person lots of Chinese books and lots of Arabic books —none of them
overlapping — and that person has to learn to translate Chinese to Arabic. That seems impossible,
right?” says the first author of one study, Mikel Artetxe, a computer scientist at the University of the
Basque Country (UPV) in San Sebastian, Spain. “But we show that a computer can do that.”

P4 - Most machine learning—in which neural networks and other computer algorithms learn from
experience—is “supervised.” A computer makes a guess, receives the right answer, and adjusts its
process accordingly. That works well when teaching a computer to translate between, say, English and
French, because many documents exist in both languages. It doesn’t work so well for rare languages,
or for popular ones without many parallel texts.

P5 - The two new papers, both of which have been submitted to next year’s International Conference
on Learning Representations, but have not yet been peer reviewed, focus on another method:
unsupervised machine learning. To a certain extent, the process returns to the early days of machine
translation. Each machine constructs bilingual dictionaries without the aid of a human teacher telling
them whether their guesses are right. That is possible because languages have strong similarities in the
ways words cluster around one another. The words for table and chair, for example, are frequently
used together in all languages. So if a computer maps out these co-occurrences like a giant road atlas
with words for cities, the maps for different languages will resemble each other, just with different
names. A computer can then figure out the best way to overlay one atlas on another. Voilà! You have a
bilingual dictionary.

P6 - The new papers, which use remarkably similar methods, can also translate at the sentence level.
They both use two training strategies, called back translation and denoising. In back translation, a
sentence in one language is roughly translated into the other, then translated back into the original
language. If the back-translated sentence is not identical to the original, the neural networks are
adjusted so that next time they’ll be closer. Denoising is similar to back translation, but instead of
going from one language to another and back, it adds noise to a sentence (by rearranging or removing
words) and tries to translate that back into the original. Together, these methods teach the networks the
deeper structure of language.

25
P7 - There are slight differences between the techniques. The UPV system back translates more
frequently during training. The other system, created by Facebook computer scientist Guillaume
Lample, based in Paris, and collaborators, adds an extra step during translation. Both systems encode a
sentence from one language into a more abstract representation before decoding it into the other
language, but the Facebook system verifies that the intermediate “language” is truly abstract. Artetxe
and Lample both say they could improve their results by applying techniques from the other’s paper.

P8 - In the only directly comparable results between the two papers—translating between English and
French texts drawn from the same set of about 30 million sentences—both achieved a bilingual
evaluation understudy score (used to measure the accuracy of translations) of about 15 in both
directions. That’s not as high as Google Translate, a supervised method that scores about 40, or
humans, who can score more than 50, but it’s better than word-for-word translation. The authors say
the systems could easily be improved by becoming semi-supervised – having a few thousand parallel
sentences added to their training.

P9 - In addition to translating between languages without many parallel texts, both Artetxe and Lample
say their systems could help with common pairings like English and French if the parallel texts are all
the same kind, like newspaper reporting. “This method is in its infancy,” Artetxe’s co-author Eneko
Agirre cautions. “We have just opened a new research avenue, so we don’t know where it’s heading.”

P10 - “It’s a shock that the computer could learn to translate even without human supervision,” says Di
He, a computer scientist at Microsoft in Beijing whose work influenced both papers. Artetxe says the
fact that his method and Lample’s—uploaded to arXiv within a day of each other—are so similar is
surprising. “But at the same time, it’s great. It means the approach is really heading in the right
direction.” Adapted from an article by Matthew Hutson in "Science" Magazine.

Read the article and answer the following questions in your own words / 20 marks

1) What were the first machine translations and their results? (2 marks)

2) What was the difference with the Google translator? (2 marks)

3) How did the CAT translation change the situation? (2 marks)

4) Briefly explain “unsupervised machine learning”? (3 marks)

5) Compare back translation and denoising? (2 marks)

6) What are the differences between the two papers? (2 marks)

7) Find word(s) with the same meaning as: (1 mark each)

- P1 ludicrous; absurd
- P1 to progress or increase quickly and strongly
- P1 strikingly noticeable; conspicuous
- P2 easy to approach, enter, or use
- P5 a person who is equal to another in abilities or qualifications
- P5 a group of persons or things close together
- P10 the method used or steps taken in setting about a task

26
 Reading 10 – Wild Swimming
Dipping my toe into cold-water swimming
(P1)It's not for the faint-hearted (no, medically it isn't), but cold-water swimming can boost
circulation, immunity and the libido. So: here begins my bid to make next year's world championships

(P2) I'm standing at the edge of the men's swimming pond at Hampstead Heath. And I can completely
understand why I'm virtually alone. Just as you wouldn't find 4'33'' by John Cage on the karaoke
machine, and in the same way that Marcel Duchamp's Fountain never featured among Athena's range
of iconic posters, most people don't see the point of spending a drizzly autumn weekend lowering
themselves into ponds. Like a piece of music with no notes, or an upturned urinal displayed as art,
there's something about the practice of swimming in cold water that touches a nerve among right-
thinking people. Instinctively, they feel that it's dangerous or somehow corrupting. And in many ways,
they are correct.

(P3)The cold-shock response, an involuntary instant reaction to cold-water immersion involving

hyperventilation and a racing heart, can cause a person to swallow water and drown, or even suffer a
heart attack. Hypothermia or non-freezing cold injury potentially await survivors – but before that, the
functioning of the limbs will increasingly weaken as blood flows to the core body to maintain warmth.
One thing that encourages people to endure the pain is the accompanying cocktail of endorphins that
arises in the brain, resulting in a lasting sense of euphoria and calm. "It sets you up for the day," says
one swimmer I encounter in the changing area. He's one of 20 or 30 who swim here throughout the
year, even in the depths of winter, when the temperature is close to zero.

(P4)Various health benefits are also claimed (though the evidence is inconclusive) for regular cold-
water swimming, including boosts to the circulation, immune system and libido. In theory, it sounds
good. But theory counts for nothing when faced with the brute reality of these chilly, murky waters.
It's a congenial environment for moorhens – but human beings? And yet cold-water swimming is
undeniably growing in popularity. The number of participants in the biennial Winter Swimming World
Championships has risen from 500 in Helsinki back in 2000, to 1129 for the latest event in Latvia last
year. Local events have sprung up too, in places ranging from Slovenia to Sweden. Meanwhile, South
African Ram Barkai is attempting to formalise ice swimming as a sport – with his International Ice
Swimming Association defining an "ice mile" as one mile in water below five degrees – and dreaming
of inclusion in the Winter Olympics.

(P5)One of the world's most famous cold-water swimmers is Lewis Pugh, who has swum across a
glacial lake on Everest and completed 1km across the North Pole in water of -1.7 degrees (four months
later, he recovered the feeling in his hands). Pugh's trainer, Professor Tim Noakes of the University of
Cape Town, says that Pugh can mentally raise his body temperature by 1.4 degrees before entering
cold water in a process called "anticipatory thermogenesis". But how? One possibility Noakes suggests
involves brown fat – the tissue that allows newborn babies and hibernating mammals to keep warm,
but was until recently thought not to exist in adult humans. If it sounds like science fiction, that only
illustrates how little we actually know. The bizarre physical and mental experiences cold-water
swimmers often report underline that Pugh and Barkai are in effect the Duchamp and Cage of
swimming – relentlessly pushing boundaries, forcing us to redefine what we consider possible. No
matter that their work is misunderstood by mainstream society. This only strengthens these pioneers'
camaraderie, their commitment to discovering new ways of seeing. They are, as Christopher
McDougall said of ultrarunners, "body artists, playing with the palette of human endurance".

27
(P6)And I'll be joining them. Having previously dipped my toe into this world in the name of research,
I've now decided to go native, and try to acclimatise to the cold throughout the winter. Because what
we do know is that repeated exposure reduces the negative symptoms of cold immersion, while
retaining the potential benefits. Perhaps gaining the respect of this pursuit's practitioners will help me
figure out what makes them tick. But attaining cold-water credibility is a complex process. It might be
instructive to draw parallels to another area: music.

(P7)Wetsuits, for example, are an obvious faux pas – the equivalent of putting Mumford & Sons on
the pub jukebox. Right now, the water is 16 degrees, and I can stay in for a good 15 minutes without
too much trouble. That's respectable though unremarkable, much like confessing an admiration
for David Bowie. But I'm planning to keep going as the temperatures plummet, and then enter the next
Winter Swimming World Championships in Lapland in March – where I'll see how fast I can swim 50m.

(P8)The lifeguard here says he gets increasing numbers of inquiries about cold-water swimming. But
if you are tempted, then be safe. It's not for those with heart problems, and it's recommended you
consult a doctor beforehand. It's important to swim regularly (2-3 times per week) and the ideal time to
start is during the summer, when the water is warmest. Don't jump straight in, and don't stay in for too
long. Four minutes 33 seconds is probably too much. And as for urinals, it's best not to visit one
straight after your swim. If you're male, that's one area where cold water is not good for the ego.

•Adapted from an article by Jonathan Knott in The Guardian, 29th Nov, 2013

Answer the following questions in your own words: /22

1. Summarise the key points of this article in 4-5 sentences. (4 marks)

2. What is the relevance of the music and the art comparisons within the context of the article in
paragraph 2 (2 marks)
3. What possible side effects can “cold shock response” cause? (1 mark)
4. What does the swimmer mean by saying “It sets you up for the day” in paragraph 3? (2 marks)
5. What would you expect “chilly” and “murky” water to feel like and look like?(P4) (1 mark)
6. What does the phrasal verb “sprung up” mean in the context of the text?(P4)(1 mark)
7. What is “brown fat” and why is it so special in the context? (P5) (1 mark)
8. What is the problem with wearing a wetsuit(P7)(1 mark)
9. What advice is given regarding cold water swimming?(P7)? (1 mark)
10. Write the definitions for the words 1,2 and 8 and look for a word for the definitions c,d,e,f,and g:

word/expression definition
1) drizzly (P2) a)
2) relentlessly (P5) b)
3) c)the outside limit of an object(P2)
4) d) put up with (P3)
5) e) pleasant, agreeable (P4)
f) mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of
6)
time together(P5)
7) g) not particularly interesting(P7)
8) Faux pas (P7)

(8 marks)

28
 Reading 11 - Online Dating
P1 - THE internet has transformed the way people work and communicate. It has upended industries,
from entertainment to retailing. But its most profound effect may well be on the biggest decision that
most people make—choosing a mate. In the early 1990s the notion of meeting a partner online seemed
freakish, if not a little pathetic. Today, in many places, it is normal. Smartphones have put virtual bars
in people’s pockets, where singletons can mingle free from the constraints of social or physical
geography. Globally, at least 200m people use digital dating services every month. In America more
than a third of marriages now start with an online match-up. The internet is the second-most-popular
way for Americans to meet people of the opposite sex, and is fast catching up with real-world “friend of a friend” introductions.

P2 - Digital dating is a massive social experiment, conducted on one of humanity’s most intimate and
vital processes. Its effects are only just starting to become visible. Meeting a mate over the internet is
fundamentally different from meeting one offline. In the physical world, partners are found in family
networks or among circles of friends and colleagues. Meeting a friend of a friend is the norm. People
who meet online are overwhelmingly likely to be strangers. As a result, dating digitally offers much
greater choice. A bar, choir or office might have a few tens of potential partners for any one person.
Online there are tens of thousands.

P3 - This greater choice—plus the fact that digital connections are made only with mutual consent—
makes the digital dating market far more efficient than the offline kind. For some, that is bad news.
Because of the gulf in pickiness between the sexes, a few straight men are doomed never to get any
matches at all. On Tantan, a Chinese app, men express interest in 60% of women they see, but women
are interested in just 6% of men; this dynamic means that 5% of men never receive a match. In offline
dating, with a much smaller pool of men to fish from, straight women are more likely to couple up
with men who would not get a look-in online.

P4 - For most people, however, digital dating offers better outcomes. Research has found that
marriages in America between people who meet online are likely to last longer; such couples profess
to be happier than those who met offline. The whiff of moral panic surrounding dating apps is vastly
overblown. Precious little evidence exists to show that opportunities online are encouraging infidelity.
In America, divorce rates climbed until just before the advent of the internet, and have fallen since.
Online dating is a particular boon for those with very particular requirements. Jdate allows daters to
filter out matches who would not consider converting to Judaism, for instance. A vastly bigger market
has had dramatic results for same-sex daters in particular. In America, 70% of gay people meet their
partners online. This searchable spectrum of sexual diversity is a boon: more people can find the
intimacy they seek.

P5 - There are problems with the modern way of love, however. Many users complain of stress when
confronted with the brutal realities of the digital meat market, and their place within it. Negative
emotions about body image existed before the internet, but they are amplified when strangers can issue
snap judgments on attractiveness. Digital dating has been linked to depression. This new world of
romance may also have unintended consequences for society. The fact that online daters have so much
more choice can break down barriers: evidence suggests that the internet is boosting interracial
marriages by bypassing homogenous social groups. But daters are also more able to choose partners
like themselves. Assortative mating, the process whereby people with similar education levels and
incomes pair up, already shoulders some of the blame for income inequality. Online dating may make
the effect more pronounced: education levels are displayed prominently on dating profiles in a way
they would never be offline. It is not hard to imagine dating services of the future matching people by
preferred traits, as determined by uploaded genomes. Dating firms also suffer from an inherent conflict
of interest. Perfect matching would leave them bereft of paying customers.

29
P6 - The domination of online dating by a handful of firms and their algorithms is another source of
worry. Dating apps do not benefit from exactly the same sort of network effects as other tech
platforms: a person’s friends do not need to be on a specific dating site, for example. But the feedback
loop between large pools of data, generated by ever-growing numbers of users attracted to an ever-
improving product, still exists. The entry into the market of Facebook, armed with data from its 2.2bn
users, will provide clues as to whether online dating will inexorably consolidate into fewer, larger
platforms.

P7 - But even if the market does not become ever more concentrated, the process of coupling (or not)
has unquestionably become more centralised. Romance used to be a distributed activity which took
place in a profusion of bars, clubs, churches and offices; now enormous numbers of people rely on a
few companies to meet their mate. That hands a small number of coders, tweaking the algorithms that
determine who sees whom across the virtual bar, tremendous power to engineer mating outcomes. In
authoritarian societies especially, the prospect of algorithmically arranged marriages ought to cause
some disquiet. Competition offers some protection against such a possibility; so too might greater
transparency over the principles used by dating apps to match people up.

P8 - Yet such concerns should not obscure the good that comes from the modern way of romance. The
right partners can elevate and nourish each other. The wrong ones can ruin both their lives. Digital
dating offers millions of people a more efficient way to find a good mate. That is something to love.
18 / 8 / 2018 The Economist

Answer the following questions in your own words: / 20 marks

1) What is the meaning of upended (P1)? (1 mark)

2) How is meeting a mate over the internet different from offline? (P2) (2 marks)

3) Why is the efficiency of internet dating negative for some? (P3) (2 marks)

4) What does look-in mean? (P3) (1 mark)

5) What is the moral panic associated with online dating (P4)? (2 marks)

6) Explain the word snap in the context of the article (P5) (1 mark)

7) What might be the unintended consequences for society of online dating? (P5) (2 marks)

8) Give a definition of tweaking (P7) (1 mark)

9) How has the process of looking for a partner become more centralised? (P7) (2 marks)

10) Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as: (1 mark each)
a) To take part in sth with others, informally (P1) –
b) The vast majority (P2) –
c) Very fussy (P3) –
d) To remove sth not desired (P4) –
e) To assume or take on as a responsibility (P5) –
f) Not able to be changed; unalterable (P6) –

30
 Reading 12 - Students Union
Who has the right to decide what students hear, read or see? The National Union of Students thinks it
has that right. It argues that this is a free country and it can decide whom to censor. Universities
minister Jo Johnson disagrees. He sees modern students as mollycoddled snowflakes who should grow
up. He intends to fine universities that shield themselves and their charges from opinions merely
because they “could cause offence”.

There is no argument here. The NUS is right and Johnson is wrong. The union advises students on
public meetings, and feels it must protect them from certain people and views. It has a list of six
proscribed rightwing and Islamist organisations, such as the British National Party and Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Member unions can, of course, no-platform other groups and individuals. Like Johnson, I might
consider this overprotective, vindictive – even childish. But since when has tolerance or open debate
been a feature of student politics?

The “right” to free speech has always been the most equivocal of the rights that philosopher Jeremy
Bentham dismissed as “nonsense upon stilts”. Traditional liberals who once ardently championed
freedom tend now to be the first to deny it. Their weapons range from the laws of libel, slander,
privacy and copyright to the howling gendarmerie now bearing down on incitement, hate speech and
harassment. The right to say what one thinks is negated by the right of another not to be upset by such
speech, including the right to define being upset.

Johnson is right to deplore the “nasty party” within Britain’s university community. He is right to wish
that teachers and governors would discipline students where appropriate. But he is also in a position of
power. He means to enforce his views by deploying his battery of agencies, monitors and controls over
teaching and research that have rendered universities mere outliers of Whitehall. That they should
be fined for their students’ behaviour, however bad, makes academic independence meaningless.

Besides, Johnson’s edict against no-platforming has been hoist on its own petard. The government’s
ham-fisted “Prevent strategy” to counter terrorism has its own list of anti-Islamist bannings, no-
platformings and controls. How can it prosecute others who do the same – even proscribing some of
the same villains? Government and universities seem to be competing in the new illiberal liberalism.

The days when universities patrolled the “universe” of free thought are long past. When John Wycliffe
and Jan Hus lectured the scholars of Oxford and Prague on church Reformation, they enjoyed a
privileged, indeed sacred, space. To hear their views, you had to be in their presence. Those days were
numbered with the arrival of Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press. They evaporated with
broadcasting and now social media. It is a puzzle why Germaine Greer, Nigel Farage or Peter Tatchell
as victims of no-platforming should bother to address students. They have a multitude of more popular
media outlets ready to offer them, and their critics, platforms.

The most intense argument in Britain recently has been over Brexit. The contribution of universities to
that debate, insofar as I have noticed, has been minimal. I must have attended a dozen university
meetings on the topic. I cannot recall one at which a serious champion of Brexit was heard on stage.
They were just echo chambers for remain.

Platforms are not just planks of wood. They are theatres of access to the ears and eyes of the public. As
such they must inevitably be orchestrated by producers, directors, editors: the hidden persuaders, the
selectors and choosers. Editing is censorship by any other name. It is culling, shaping and conduiting
opinion in conformity to the outlook of some, usually unrevealed, arbiter.

31
Of all the mendacious claims made for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the rest, none is more sinister
than that they are “just platforms” and not publishers, as if there were a difference. It is true that they
are the default publishers of opinion – warts, lies and all – that the mainstream media might edit, or
censor. They appear “free to air”, neutral and clean. Yet behind every platform lurks an algorithm and
its creator, as vulnerable as any to the dark arts of fakery and spin. An algorithm is an edited platform
like any other, more dangerous since editing by statistical quantity gives it spurious authenticity.

However we consume information, it is filtered, selected, mediated for us by some agency or other.
What matters is that this editing be as explicit as possible, and that we trust it not just to be free but in
some sense fair. When I read the Daily Mail or the Guardian, the New York Times or the Economist, I
know where they are coming from. If I distrust one source, I can and must be able to turn to another.
Freedom of speech is really freedom of choice in hearing.

That is what is worrying in social media’s virtual monopoly of digital platforms. In ordering the
vastness of its reach and archive, it has been led not by social responsibility or balance or fairness but
by profit. It has shown itself a bad editor, not just of information and opinion but of a huge panoply of
social interaction. It is not trustworthy. Here, and not at the antics of the NUS, is where Johnson and
others in power should be directing their attention.

Adapted from The Guardian

Answer the following questions in your own words: 20 points in total

1) What does Universities Minister Jo Johnson intend to do?

2) Why does the author say there is no argument (P 2)? (2tps)

3) What does “no-platform” (P 2) mean?

4) Why have “Traditional liberals” (P 3) changed their minds on this topic? (2 pts)

5) Why does the author say that academic independence is meaningless (P 4)? (2 pts)

6) What does “mere outliers” (P 4) mean?

7) How has social media changed universities since John Wycliffe’s day? (2 pts)

8) Why does the author say universities were only “echo chambers for remain” (P 7)? (2 pts)

9) Why is editing censorship by any other name (P 8)? (2pts)

10) Why does the author claim it is a lie that Facebook etc. are “just platforms”? (2 pts)

11) What does “spin” mean (P9)?

12) Why is the author so worried about social media? (2 pts)

32
 Reading 13 - Climate crisis
1.Michelle Bachelet said the Amazon fires ‘may have catastrophic impact on humanity as a whole, but
their worst effects are suffered by the women, men and children who live in these areas. Climate
change is not only having a devastating impact on the environments we live in, but also on respect for
human rights globally, the UN has warned.

2.The UN rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, cited the civil wars sparked by a warming planet and the
plight of indigenous people in an Amazon ravaged by wildfires and rampant deforestation. She also
denounced attacks on environmental activists, particularly in Latin America, and the abuse aimed at
high-profile figures such as the teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg. “The world has never seen a
threat to human rights of this scope,” she told the UN human rights council in Geneva. “The
economies of all nations, the institutional, political, social and cultural fabric of every state, and the
rights of all your people, and future generations, will be impacted” by climate change, she warned.

3.The 42nd session of the council opened with a minute of silence for the victims of Hurricane Dorian
in the Bahamas, where at least 44 have been killed and thousands of homes reduced to rubble. “The
storm accelerated with unprecedented speed over an ocean warmed by climate shifts, becoming one of
the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever to hit land,” Bachelet said. Low-lying small island states like the
Bahamas, which are heavily affected by climate change, are quickly seeing rights to water, sanitation,
health, food, work and adequate housing, she warned. She called for international action to mitigate
the impact there.

4.The UN high commissioner for human rights also denounced the “drastic acceleration of
deforestation of the Amazon. “The fires currently raging across the rainforest may have catastrophic
impact on humanity as a whole, but their worst effects are suffered by the women, men and children
who live in these areas,” she said. She urged authorities in Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil to “ensure the
implementation of longstanding environmental policies … thus preventing future tragedies”.
Bachelet’s comments risk further angering the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, who last week
accused her of meddling in his country’s affairs after she criticised the deteriorating rights situation
there.

5.The UN rights chief also highlighted the impact climate change is having on insecurity around the
world. She cited a UN estimate that 40% of civil wars over the past six decades have been linked to
environmental degradation. In the Sahel region of Africa for instance, degradation of arable land “is
intensifying competition for already scarce resources”, she said. This in turn exacerbates ethnic
tensions, and fuels violence and political instability, she added. Bachelet lamented that those sounding
the alarm over the devastating impacts of climate change are often attacked.

6.UN experts, she said, had “noted attacks on environmental human rights defenders in virtually every
region, particularly in Latin America”. “I am disheartened by this violence, and also by the verbal
attacks on young activists such as Greta Thunberg and others, who galvanise support for prevention of
the harm their generation may bear,” Bachelet said. “The demands made by environmental defenders
and activists are compelling, and we should respect, protect and fulfil their rights.”
The Guardian 9th Sep 2019

33
Answer the following questions in your own words: / 20 marks

1) Summarise the main arguments of the text in 4-5 sentences. 3 points.

2) What does Bachelet say will be affected by climate change? 1 point

3) What was Jair Bolsonaro’s reaction to Bachelet’s comments? 1 point

4) What does Bachelet say happens to people who warn about the dangers? 1 point

5) What do these words represent in the text. 1 point each

There (para.3)
This (para. 5)
This (para. 6)

6) Provide a synonym for these words.

Match the tense or form of the word to the word in the text. 1 point each
Sparked
Scope
Rubble
Raging
Galvanise

7) Find a word in the text which means: 1 point each.

Extreme
Ease
Referred to
Powerful
Increases
Uncontrolled

34
 Reading 14 – The World’s best player
Megan Rapinoe: the world's best player in every sense of the word

P1 - By the time Megan Rapinoe stood in Stade de Lyon after July’s World Cup final, arms
outstretched like a statue one might find at the Musée d’Orsay, it was obvious she had arrived at an
apex few of us can ever hope to reach. The heart of a World Cup-winning USA team that will go
down as the greatest ever, Rapinoe was the worthy recipient of Fifa’s “The Best” award in the
women’s player category.

P2 - But a few years ago, it was almost inconceivable that Rapinoe would be standing under the bright
lights, hailed as a hero. It appeared Rapinoe’s career was winding down and her best days were behind
her – struggles that, in retrospect, propelled her to the stage at Fifa’s awards gala.

P3 - There was the disappointment of the 2016 Olympics, of course, where Rapinoe’s US team were
knocked out in the quarter-finals – the earliest exit for the Americans in any major tournament.
Rapinoe made her return during the Rio Games after 252 days without playing competitive football
and, in her rushed return from an ACL injury, she failed to make the impact coach Jill Ellis had hoped
for.

P4 - There were also the off-field diversions. Rapinoe joined Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racial
injustice by kneeling during the national anthem for both club and US team games. In response, the US
Soccer Federation passed a new bylaw stating that any player who didn’t stand for the anthem would
face punishment, something that threatened her place on the team.

P5 - All the while, coach Jill Ellis vowed to upend her roster before the 2019 World Cup and veteran
players soon found themselves out in the cold. Call-ups and starts that used to belong to Rapinoe had
gone to young up-and-comers such has Mallory Pugh, a winger 13 years Rapinoe’s junior.

P6 - It was a year that Rapinoe later admitted was a difficult one but she insisted it also rejuvenated
her. On the pitch, she was resurgent, fitter and stronger than ever. Away from the game, she became
more committed to speaking out, even if it meant being labelled as a “controversial” athlete.

P7 - “It really only solidifies who I am as a person and the things that I stand for,” she said in 2017.
“Often times you stand up for something and people clap, and sometimes you do and they don’t. It
only strengthened my resolve and my ethos of standing up for what I believe in.”

P8 - Her comeback from one of the most tumultuous years in her career laid the groundwork for her
eventual breakout in 2019. At this summer’s World Cup, Donald Trump tweeted criticism of Rapinoe,
chastising her for not respecting “our Country … or our Flag” after she had said she did not want to
visit the White House. Rapinoe promptly scored twice in her next game, a marquee match-up between
the US and France. For good measure, Rapinoe scored again in the World Cup final, which the US
won, and left with a literal armful of trophies. Criticize her at your peril. “We’re everything Trump
loves” says Rapinoe, “except we’re powerful women.”

35
P9 - Rapinoe, to be sure, is a dazzling player to watch. A crafty and audacious winger, her enthusiasm
is spellbinding – she plays like she’s having the time of her life, even when it seems like everyone
wants to bring her down. She’ll dribble a defender into circles, find a seam for a pass out of nowhere,
or score an impossible curler and make it look routine. But her sensational 2019 was buoyed by
something more than that – something beyond what she could do with the ball at her feet. Her
authenticity and self-belief set her apart in the most rigorous edition of the Women’s World Cup ever
played.

P10 - She used routine press conferences to talk about the inequities in women’s football and, even as
a Fifa media officer sat close by, she didn’t hold back in her criticism of football’s governing body.
She calmly argued that Fifa hadn’t shown it cared about the women’s game, paid lip service but didn’t
provide enough resources.

P11 - Rapinoe and her teammates have sued the US Soccer Federation over allegations of gender
discrimination, and she didn’t demur as the topic came up in France. By the time she and her
teammates lifted the World Cup trophy, the crowd in Lyon erupted into a rousing: “Equal pay! Equal
pay!” If the USA’s biggest star in the tournament had been someone else – someone less inclined to
speak so openly about inequality – it’s worth wondering if that chant would have happened.

P12 - It was only fitting that on the night she was being honoured as Fifa’s top player of the year, she
again made the platform bigger than herself, calling on everyone to combat racism, sexism and other
ugly elements of football. “I ask everyone here: lend your platform to other people,” she told the
crowd. At the ceremony in Milan, Rapinoe gave nods to Iran’s “Blue Girl”, LGBTQ players, the anti-
racism campaigns of her fellow footballers Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, and the battle for
equal pay: “Stories that have inspired me most; Raheem Sterling, Kalido Koulibaly and the young Iran
woman who burnt to death.”

P13 - “Lift other people up. Share your success. We have a unique opportunity in football, different to
any other sport in the world, to use this beautiful game to actually change the world for the better.
That’s my charge to everyone. I hope you take that to heart and just do something. Do anything.”

P14 - How to define the word “best” may vary depending who you ask, and it becomes all the more
complicated when trying to untangle a player’s individual success in a team sport. But if “best” can be
defined as the player who made the greatest impact with the most poise at the highest level, there is
little doubt that Rapinoe was the best 2019 had to offer. Her performance has been transcendent, not
just within the white lines on the grass, but at podiums and in front of crowds. Awarding the top
individual honour to any other player simply wasn’t an option.
Adapted from The Guardian September 2019, Caitlin Murray

36
Answer the following question in your own words.

1. What does “heart” (P1) refer to? (1 point)

2. In your own words, summarise the reasons why Rapinoe’s sports career seemed likely to end
before the 2019 World Cup. (4 points)

3. What implicit and explicit criticisms are made of the football authorities mentioned in this article?
(3 points)

4. Why does the author say “It was only fitting…she made the platform bigger than herself” (P12)
(2 points)

5. Explain the difference between the following words / phrases in the text and the synonyms given.
(4 points)

 crafty (P9) vs. intelligent

 comeback (P8) vs. return

 chant (P11) vs shout

 poise (P14) vs. control

6. Look through the article for synonyms of the following (6 points)

i. deserving

ii. coming to a gradual end

iii. away from the actual sports games

iv. ignored or not invited to participate

v. In addition to; as well; besides…etc.

vi. make a reference to

37
 Summary 1 - Summarising Sentences

In a comprehension test, you are often asked to summarise a passage - to give the main ideas in a
short text of 250-300 words. This is particularly difficult to do when the passage is written in a
complicated way, with long sentences or a lot of unusual vocabulary. You need to 'see through' the
words to the ideas (often very simple) which lie behind them. The following exercise will give you
practice in doing this.
Each of these sentences can be rewritten much more briefly without really changing the meaning.
Read them carefully, and then rewrite them in as few words as possible (between two and ten).

1. If I were asked to give an accurate description of my physical condition at the present moment, the
only possible honest reply would be that I am greatly in need of liquid refreshment.

2. People whose professional activity lies in the field of politics are not, on the whole, conspicuous
for their respect for factual accuracy.

3. I must confess to a feeling of very considerable affection for the young female person with whom I
spend the greater part of my spare time.

4. Failure to assimilate an adequate quantity of solid food over an extended period of time is
absolutely certain to lead, in due course, to a fatal conclusion.

5. It is by no means easy to achieve an accurate understanding of that subject of study which is

concerned with the relationships between numbers.

6. It is my fervent wish that the creator of the universe will do his utmost to preserve and protect the
royal lady who graciously occupies the position of head of state.

7. I should be greatly obliged if you would have the kindness to bring me, at your convenience, a
written statement of the indebtedness I have incurred in connection with the meal which you have
just finished serving to me.

8. The climatic conditions prevailing in Britain show a pattern of alternating and unpredictable
periods of dry and wet weather, accompanied by a similarly irregular cycle of temperature changes.

9. I should be grateful if you would be so good as to stop the uninterrupted flow of senseless remarks
with which you are currently straining my patience to breaking point.

10. The poem is evidently intended to display the writer's knowledge of obscure names and uncommon
myths; it is full of unusual words of doubtful meaning gathered from the older poets, and many
long-winded compounds coined by the author.

38
 Summary 2 - Formal to Informal
Exercise 1 Certain established phrases are used repeatedly in the language of forms, travel conditions, regulations,
advertisements and notices. Rewrite each of the following in simple English as if you were explaining the meaning to sb
E.g. Not transferable. (rail ticket)  No one else is allowed to use this ticket.
Parental consent required if under 16. (holiday)  Children under 16 must have their parents' permission.

(a) Subject to alteration. (timetable)

(b) For further information see over. (timetable)

(c) To be retained and produced on request. (rail ticket)

(d) Smokers are requested to refrain from smoking. (notice in bus)

(e) This portion to be given up. (theatre ticket)

(f) Complete and detach bottom section. (bank form)

(g) Affix recent photograph here. (application form)

(h) Liable to alteration without notice. (timetable)

(i) See notes overleaf. (passport application form)

(j) Insert correct amount only. (notice on automatic machine)

(k) All offers subject to availability. (chain-store gift catalogue)

(I) Services in bold type convey sleeping-cars only. (rail timetable)

(m) Delete where applicable. (official form)

(n) Enquire within. (notice in shop window)

(o) Special rates available for parties. (theatre conditions)

(p) Not valid on underground train services unless specifically stated. (travel ticket)

(q) Indicate marital status by ticking appropriate box. (official form)

(r) Non-refundable deposit payable at time of reservation. (travel agent's conditions)

(s) Expiry date. (one-week travel ticket)

(t) Insert full name of spouse. (official form)

(u) No gratuities to staff. (museum notice)

(v) Patrons are requested not to smoke. (notice in cinema)

(w) The management reserves the right of admission, (notice outside pub)

(x) All rates subject to VAT. (car hire conditions)

39
Exercise 2 Rewrite each of the following in simple English as if you were explaining it to someone.
E.g. You will be asked to show that adequate funds will be available to meet the cost of fees, your own
maintenance and that of any dependents during your stay. (immigration regulations for students)
They'll ask you to show that you will have enough money to pay your college fees and to support
yourself and any other members of your family you bring with you.

(a) Should there be any defect in this appliance, consult the supplier. (note with washing machine)

(b) Follow the instructions on the reverse of the form. (official form)

(c) No liability can be accepted for events beyond our control, (travel firm's rules)

(d) It should be noted that possession of the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee
admission, (university entrance regulations)

(e) Should you wish to extend your rental beyond the agreed terminating date, it is imperative that the
renting station is advised immediately, (car hire conditions)

(f) The Post Office does not undertake to deliver mail to the addressee in person but to the address
shown. It will be signed for by the recipient on delivery. (Post Office regulations for Registered Delivery)

(g) Normally the bank asks for seven days' notice of any withdrawals from a Deposit Account, but in
emergencies you can draw immediately, (bank conditions)

(h) You will receive four tickets. Should you require more books than this at any time, extra tickets
will be issued on demand, (library rules)

(i) Possession of such a letter is not obligatory but should greatly facilitate entry, (immigration
regulations)

(j) A visitor can drive in Britain on a current International Driving Permit or a current domestic driving
licence (which should be carried), subject to a maximum of 12 months from his last date of entry.
Otherwise a British driving licence must be obtained, (driving regulations)

(k) The renter is responsible for the first £45 of each and every accident involving any damage to or
loss of the vehicle during the renting period. The renter's liability may be waived by payment of a
collision damage waiver fee at the rate of 95p per day. (car hire insurance rules)

(l) A caller in this country requesting a collect call will not be liable for any charges, whether or not
the request for the charge to be transferred is accepted. If the request for the charge to be transferred is
not accepted, the caller can elect to pay for the call himself; otherwise the call will not be established,
(telephone regulations for international collect [transfer charge] calls)

40
 Summary 3 - Informal to Formal
Exercise 1 The information below is given as if spoken informally. Rewrite each item as it
would appear formally in the notice, form, printed regulations etc. indicated in
brackets. Suggested beginnings are given for the first few items.

E.g. You've got to understand that we accept students only if they've got permission to study from the
Home Office, (college regulations)
Students should be aware that they will be admitted to the college strictly on condition that they have
obtained leave to study from the Home Office.

(a) If you want to complain, you must write a letter to the tour operator. (travel conditions)
Any complaints should be. . .

(b) If you buy anything during the sale, we won't give you your money back if you later decide you
don't want it. (shop notice)
We regret that no refunds. . .

(c) Children can come in free if they're with an adult, (museum regulations)
Children will be. . .

(d) If, by chance, there's a fire, don't panic. Just leave quietly. The exits are marked on the plan at the
bottom of the notice, (notice in public hall)
In the event of. . .

(e) You should go to, or phone, your embassy if you have any problems, (advice for travellers)
Travellers are advised. . .

(f) Please don't smoke, (notice in cinema)

Patrons are. . .

(g) It's important to remember that you've got to have an up-to-date visa. You can get one from the
consulate, (travel regulations)
Please note that you. . .

(h) It's cheaper if you get a Certificate of Posting when you actually post your letter (the counter clerk
will fill it in). You can get one later but it's more expensive. (Post Office regulations)
A Certificate of Posting may be obtained at the time of. . .

(i) There's more information on page 14. (official regulations)

41
(j) You can use this ticket on trains that leave after 7 in the evening. (rail ticket)
(k) These arrangements may have to be changed, particularly if the weather's bad. (travel conditions)
(L) Please keep this receipt. You may have to show it later on. (official receipt)

(m) The firm can't promise to send the goods you order until you send them the whole price, (business)

(n) You can do several sports here. Ask at reception if you're interested, (hotel notice)

(o) If you want a Certificate of Attendance, you'll have to show your Admission Slip. It's not
absolutely necessary for you to have a teacher's note saying you come regularly, but it'll make things a
lot easier, (college rules)

Exercise 4 Both of the texts which follow describe one of the regulations relating to the
Department of Transport test which every car over three years old in Britain
must take to-ensure that it is roadworthy.

Have a close look at the texts, and note your answers to the following:
1. Is there any difference in formality?
2. How does the language in the text suggest that difference?
3. Are there any vocabulary differences, grammatical differences, or both?
4. In what context would the level of formality of (l) and (2) be appropriate?

(1) The date of expiry of a test certificate is 12 calendar months from the date of issue except that if
you obtain a new certificate not more than one month before this certificate expires, the expiry date of
the new certificate may be entered as 12 months from the expiry date of the old certificate. To take
advantage of this extension of expiry date the old certificate must be shown to the tester at the time the
new one is issued. If you do not produce the old certificate the tester must enter the expiry date as 12
months from the date of issue. The new certificate may then only be amended if it is produced with the
old one to a Traffic Area office of the Department of Transport.

(2) Normally a test certificate runs out after a year, but if you get a new one during the month before
the old one runs out, then you can get your new certificate dated for a year from the old expiry date,
rather than from the actual test date. Of course, if you want to do that, you mustn't forget to show your
old certificate to the chap doing the test on the day. Otherwise, he's got to date the certificate for a year
from the day of the test. If that happens, then you can only get it changed by taking both certificates to
the local Traffic Area office.

42
 Summary 4 - The Sword that Can Heal
This passage concerns the uses being made of the laser, which is a device for concentrating light
waves into an intense beam of light.
Extracting main ideas
1 Read the passage through quickly and decide which of the headings below describes the general theme of the
passage.
 Military uses for the laser.
 Cancer surgery.
 Surgical uses for the laser.
 New technology in British hospitals.

2 Match the following headings to the paragraphs.

 Treating cancer
 Ear surgery and dentistry
 Cosmetic surgery
 The pin-point accuracy of the laser
 The laser as a powerful surgical instrument
 The laser in British hospitals

Understanding text organisation

Read the passage through again slowly. In each paragraph there is one sentence which doesn't belong. Which is it?
A WHILE military scientists test lasers against satellites, surgeons use them as miraculously accurate
scalpels. They can even be used to detonate hydrogen bombs. The beam can be focused to spot one
fiftieth the size of a human hair; yet its intensity is enough to kill cancer cells or drill through the most
delicate bones.
B More than a decade ago, eye surgeons realised that they could use the laser's beam to seal
individually, the microscopic blood vessels in the retina. The beam is so fine that only the target is
heated. Now its pin-point blasting power has been turned to destroying cancer cells and reducing
birthmarks. For cancer treatment, the diseased cells must be killed while their healthy neighbours are
left unharmed. Where the cancer can be directly and accurately attacked, laser treatment does well:
early cancer of the cervix and skin cancers have been widely and successfully treated. This type of
cancer is not very easy to reach. For cancers that are less accessible, there is a new and potentially
valuable technique in which the patient is injected with a chemical that then attaches itself
preferentially to cancer cells. When the laser strikes the chemical, it releases a form of oxygen that
kills these cells.
C The marvellous accuracy of the surgical laser can be increased by sending the beam along fibres of
glass far finer than a human hair. The "optical fibres" carry it around corners and direct it precisely at a
tiny area; so little of the beam spills from the glass that there is no risk of damaging healthy cells. This
technique is particularly useful in ear surgery.
D Furthermore, the laser beam can also remove bone, and so it is invaluable in ear surgery. The sounds
we hear are carried from the eardrum to the nerves of the ear by a delicate set of pivoting bones which
sometimes solidify, causing deafness. A laser beam vaporises the bone without touching any of the
surrounding tissue. The beam is diffused to avoid scarring and the mark becomes inconspicuous. This
accuracy in targeting makes the laser a useful tool for the dentist also - a nerve can be reached through
a hole drilled in the enamel.

43
E Birthmarks, once almost untreatable, are a mass of blood vessels and, being red, they absorb the
laser beam strongly. It seals them so that the mark becomes less conspicuous. The normal cells of the
skin's surface, which don't absorb much of the laser beam, act in the healing and help to conceal the
mark. The beam can cut with a precision that no scalpel could achieve. The operation can transform
the lives of people who were previously doomed to a lifetime of cosmetic concealment.
F Though this application is widely used in America, there are in Britain only two hospitals offering
the treatment, and one feels bound to warn patients that success is not certain. However, some 10 new
centres will soon be opened. Britain, though, is one of the leaders in the laser treatment of bleeding
peptic ulcers and this, combined with new medicines can mean ulcer treatment without conventional
surgery. The laser is now being used to treat all kinds of illnesses in this country. (537 words)
- Tony Osman in The Sunday Times Colour Magazine

Writing summaries
Read the passage again and complete the chart below. Not every space can be filled in from the
information given; if this is the case, just leave a blank

What the laser is used to How it is used Advantages of using the

treat laser
1 retina

2 destroys diseased cells

3 does not touch any of the

surrounding tissue

5 peptic ulcer

44
 Summary 5 – Quick Summaries I
Summarize in not more than 120 words, describing the author's trip in Cherokee

During my vacation last May, I had a hard time choosing a tour. Flights to Japan, Hong Kong and
Australia are just too common. What I wanted was somewhere exciting and exotic, a place where I
could be spared from the holiday tour crowds. I was so happy when Joan called up, suggesting a trip to
Cherokee, a county in the state of Oklahoma. I agreed and went off with the preparation immediately.

We took a flight to Cherokee and visited a town called Qualla Boundary Surrounded by magnificent
mountain scenery, the town painted a paradise before us. With its Oconaluftee Indian Village
reproducing tribal crafts and lifestyles of the 18th century and the outdoor historical pageant Unto
These Hills playing six times weekly in the summer nights, Qualla Boundary tries to present a brief
image of the Cherokee past to the tourists.

Despite the language barrier, we managed to find our way to the souvenir shops with the help of the
natives. The shops are filled with rubber tomahawks and colorful traditional war bonnets, made of
dyed turkey feathers. Tepees, cone-shaped tents made from animal skin, are also pitched near the
shops. "Welcome! Want to get anything ?" We looked up and saw a middle-aged man smiling at us.
We were very surprised by his fluent English. He introduced himself as George and we ended up
chatting till lunch time when he invited us for lunch at a nearby coffee shop.

"Sometimes, I've to work from morning to sunset during the tour season. Anyway, this is still better off
than being a woodcutter ..." Remembrance weighed heavy on George's mind and he went on to tell us
that he used to cut firewood for a living but could hardly make ends meet. We learnt from him that
the Cherokees do not depend solely on trade for survival. During the tour off-peak period, the tribe
would have to try out other means for income. One of the successful ways is the "Bingo Weekend". On
the Friday afternoons of the Bingo weekends, a large bingo hall will be opened, attracting huge crowds
of people to the various kinds of games like the Super Jackpot and the Warrior Game Special.
According to George, these forms of entertainment fetch them great returns.

Our final stop in Qualla Boundary was at the museum where arts, ranging from the simple hand-woven
oak baskets to wood and stone carvings of wolves, ravens and other symbols of Cherokee cosmology
are displayed.

Back at home, I really missed the place and I would of course look forward to the next trip to another
exotic place.

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 Summary 6 – Quick Summaries II
Summarize in not more than 120 words, describing the life in deserts.

As what geographers have estimated, about twenty percent of the earth's surface is occupied by
deserts. A majority of us view deserts as one unique kind of landscape -- areas with little or no
rainfalls.

In actual fact, there are differences between the deserts, though in varying degrees. While it is common
for laymen like us to see deserts as rocky or covered with gravel or pebbles, there are some where
large sand dunes inhabit. Despite the fact that rainfall is minimal, temperatures do change in deserts,
ranging from seasonal ones to daily changes where extreme hotness and coldness are experienced in
the day and night.

Unfavorable conditions in the deserts, especially the lack of water, have discouraged many living
things from inhabiting these landscapes. Nevertheless, there are exceptionally surviving ones which
through their superb tactics, have managed to live through and are still going strong. One such kind is
the specialist annual plants which overcome seasonal temperature changes with their extremely short,
active life cycles. In events of sudden rain, the plant seeds pullulate and grow very quickly to make full
use of the rain water. Their flowers bloom and set seeds that ripen quickly in the hot sun too. Once the
water runs dry, the mother plant dies, leaving behind the drought-resistant seeds, waiting patiently for
the next rainy season to arrive.

The Cacti, a native in American deserts, adapts to the dry surroundings by having unique body
structures. The plant has swollen stems to help store water that carries it through months. By having
sharp pines instead of leaves, water loss through respiration is minimized. Besides, these pointed pines
also help the plant ward off grazing animals, thus enhancing its survival period.

Besides plants, there are also animals with distinct surviving tactics in deserts too. For instance, Skinks
( desert lizards ) metabolize stored fats in their bulbous tails, producing water to supplement their
needs, just like what camels do with the stored food in their humps during long journeys through
deserts. Antelopes like the addax, have very low water needs and hence are able to tolerate the
conditions in deserts, extracting moisture from the food they eat.

Finally, there are the sandgrouses ( desert birds ) which do not have special features to overcome the
drought-like nature in deserts. Hence, to survive in these hot, dry deserts, they need to spend a large
part of their time flying in search of waterholes.

46
 Summary 7 – Quick Summaries III

Summarize in not more than 120 words, the various communicative methods practiced by animals in the wild

Communication is part of our everyday life. We greet one another, smile or frown, depending on our
moods. Animals too, communicate, much to our surprise. Just like us, interaction among animals can
be both verbal or non-verbal.

Singing is one way in which animals can interact with one another. Male blackbirds often use their
melodious songs to catch the attention of the females. These songs are usually rich in notes variation,
encoding various kinds of messages. Songs are also used to warn and keep off other blackbirds from
their territory, usually a place where they dwell and reproduce.

Large mammals in the oceans sing too, according to adventurous sailors. Enormous whales groan and
grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises produce pings, whistles and clicks. These sounds are
surprisingly received by other mates as far as several hundred kilometers away.

Besides singing, body language also forms a large part of animals' communication tactics. Dominant
hyenas exhibit their power by raising the fur hackles on their necks and shoulders, while the
submissive ones normally "surrender" to the powerful parties by crouching their heads low and curling
their lips a little, revealing their teeth in friendly smiles.

Colors, which are most conspicuously found on animals are also important means of interaction among
animals. Male birds of paradise, which have the most gaudy colored feathers often hang themselves
upside down from branches, among fluffing plumes, displaying proudly their feathers, attracting the
opposite sex.

The alternating black and white striped coats of zebras have their roles to play too. Each zebra is born
with a unique set of stripes which enables its mates to recognize them. When grazing safely, their
stripes are all lined up neatly so that none of them loses track of their friends. However, when danger
such as a hungry lion approaches, the zebras would dart out in various directions, making it difficult
for the lion to choose his target.

Insects such as the wasps, armed with poisonous bites or stings, normally have brightly painted bodies
to remind other predators of their power. Hoverflies and other harmless insects also make use of this
fact and colored their bodies brightly in attempts to fool their predators into thinking that they are as
dangerous and harmful as the wasps too.

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 Summary 8 – Quick Summaries IV
Summarize in not more than 120 words, the purpose of snakes' bite

All snakes are hunters and predators, feeding on the animals and sometimes their eggs. Having no
limbs, snakes cannot hold their preys down to bite; hence they usually swallow them whole. Poisonous
snakes sometimes do immobilize their preys with their venom to make consumption easier.

Most poisonous snakes are conspicuously colored to warn others off. One example is the redheaded
krait which has a bluish-black body and scarlet head and tail. Snakes like the cobras, which have less
outstanding body colors, display their fatality by lifting the front part of their body and spreading their
hoods.

It is truly a myth that poisonous snakes attack humans for food. Humans can never be their targets for
food as we are normally too large for them to swallow. in cases where snakes do bite, these attacks are
usually defensive ones and the venom injected is normally little or sometimes even none. The full,
fatal dose of the venom is only released on smaller animals which the snakes can swallow easily.
Besides helping in the killing and immobilizing of their preys, the poison also acts as digestive agents
for snakes.

Why then is the venom so deadly ? In general, there are three kinds of poisons in the venom, though in
varying amounts, depending on the type of snake in question. Venoms usually contain substances that
weaken the blood corpuscles and the lining of the blood vessels. Profuse bleeding, often a common
result of snake-bites, is caused by the anticoagulants present in the poison which prevents blood
clotting. The paralysis of the heart and respiratory muscles is performed by the nervous system
attacking toxins.

Though these bites are deadly, certain actions can be taken to slow down the spread of the venom,
hence saving the victim's life. Attempting to incise and suck at the spot of the bite is more likely to be
harmful than a cure. The poisonous venom usually travels fast into the body upon being released;
hence sucking at the mouth of the wound will not help remove the poison, rather, incising the bite may
lead the victim to great pain and further profuse bleeding. Instead, a broad, firm crepe bandage should
be applied over the would and up the full limb to compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the
venom. After which, the victim must be duly sent to the hospital for professional treatment.

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 Summary 9 – Quick Summaries V
Summarize in not more than 120 words, how Bombay's existing situation contradicts its
flourishing economic status.

Bombay is often regarded as India's Capital of Hope. Often wondering why this is so, I made a fruitful
trip down to the busy city, solving most of my queries. Bombay consists of seven islands, joined by
land reclamation. Many Indians, especially those from the rural areas, regard Bombay as their
paradise, since they could find work relatively easily here, as compared to their homelands.

Being the pillar for revenue collection, Bombay's economic growth has far outperformed the other
cities. In fact, its per capita (head) production of goods and services is about three times greater than
that of Delhi - India's second most prosperous city. Despite the economic boom, Bombay gives me an
astonishing image of deterioration when I first stepped into the city.

The ostentatiously dignified imperial buildings, erected by the British, are so overly populated that
they look as if they are toppling over any minute. There are the 1950s kind of black and yellow taxis,
which appeared as if brutally thrashed, lining up like ants trails, clotting up the small avenues. Amidst
the dins of traffic jams, stood the oppressed-looking buildings of Benetton outlets, foreign car
dealerships, croissant-serving outlets and so on.

Though unemployment is not a significant problem in Bombay, housing is. A visit in Dharavi, a slum
area in Bombay will help clarify our imagination. The Bombayites' so called "houses" are actually
movable shacks, built from unwanted bits of tarpaulin, tin and cardboard. There are so many of them
that a maze of alleys emerged, passable only when I walked sideways like a crab between them.
Curious about the living conditions, I wondered around the maze, meeting groups of scantily clad kids
and hungry, stray dogs. Popping my inquisitive head into one of the small huts, I was totally amazed
by their living conditions. Estimating about twelve or more Bombayites living in each hut, these two-
storey houses are usually partitioned by rough platforms with ceilings no higher than five feet from the
ground. Furthermore, `these shacks look absolutely bare -- no furniture and I deduced that the
inhabitants eat and sleep on the ground.

In spite of the poor living conditions, many Indians still hope to migrate to Bombay. Interviewing a
few of the newcomers, a majority of them said that they came to Bombay to find jobs. There are some
who regard Bombay as buoyant floats, saving them from natural disasters and tyrannies in their
homelands.

49
 Summary 10 – Quick Summaries VI
Briefly describe Uncle Chin's charcoal manufacturing process. Your account, which should be
continuous, must not not be longer than 120 words.

"Have you started the fire?" shouted my mum from the kitchen. "Yes!" I replied, feeling frustrated
after having some difficulties in starting the fire with charcoal. It is the eve of the annual Dragon Boat
Festival again and my mum is busy making dumplings. She has specifically chosen to cook the
dumplings with charcoal, claiming that the rice will then be uniformly cooked and fragrant. I still
prefer to use the gas cooker. "It's just more convenient and cleaner too!" grumbling helplessly, I stared
at both of my soiled hands.

Fanning the hot stove, I watched my mum lower down two strings of dumplings. "Stay put and watch
over them. Mind the time too!" She instructed sternly, knowing what a fantastic daydreamer I am.
Feeling bored only minutes after she had left, my mind starts to wonder about. Reminiscing the life
back at home town, I recalled myself popping over at Uncle Chin's charcoal manufacturing factory
frequently when I was a child. Being inquisitive, I would always ask Uncle Chin questions which
sometimes were repetitive. What an irritating kid I had been?

Charcoal was made by burning woods in a charcoal-kiln. Uncle Chin's charcoal kiln was about fifteen
feet tall and it had an arched cross-sectional opening. Clay made, the top of the kiln was always
covered with attap leaves. The daily charcoal-making work was well divided among the workers.
Every morning, the workers took turns to collect mangrove woods from the nearby swamps. Upon
returning, they sawed the wood into appropriate lengths to fit the kiln. Uncle Chin would then stack
the pieces of woods vertically in the kiln. When the kiln was full, the fire would be started and the
woods were burnt from the top, downwards, just like a burning joss stick.

Staying by the kiln, Uncle Chin would explain that the fire must not be red hot; otherwise, the wood
pieces would be reduced to ashes. Instead, a slow, greenish fire should be maintained for the wood to
be sufficiently smouldered. "Uncle Chin, then, how do we maintain such an appropriate fire?" As
usual, I would continue my endless questions.

"It's all through experience..." With a grin on his face, Uncle Chin recalled how he was scolded by his
teacher for not being able to judge the appropriate hotness of the fire.

The aroma of the cooked dumplings brought me back to the present. "Oops! Time's up. Mum, the
dumplings are ready?" I shouted in excitement, waiting to try one of the mouth-watering dumplings.

50
 Summary 11 – Practice I
Birthing centre - homebirth
While most people accept that giving birth will mean going to hospital, a small, but growing number
of families are opting for natural births at home. Giving birth naturally means having no medical
interventions or anaesthesia. Some people feel they will not be provided with support for this choice in
a hospital and so choose a home delivery. The homebirth rate is low in Spain, an estimated 0.05
percent compared with up to 20 percent in some regions of the UK. Catalunya has the highest
homebirth rate in Spain, an estimated one per day.

“In the Sixties, after the Civil War, big hospitals were built and birth moved from home to hospital,”
said Montse Catalan, an obstetrician who works at Migjorn Casa de Naixements birthing centre. “In
the Seventies, the feminist movement in Spain had so much else to battle with after Franco that birth
was overlooked, and by the Eighties the medical profession was using Oxytocin [a chemical to
accelerate birth] and constant monitoring of foetal heart rate as standard. Because of the artificially
stimulated contractions, and not being able to move from a bed, birth became more painful, and the
epidural [a form of anaesthesia] rate peaked in the Nineties. Spain still has one of Europe’s highest
epidural rates.”

In a hospital setting here there is not much scope for natural birth, according to Mireia Marcos, a UK-
trained midwife who works at the Marenostrum Centre. “Many women [who want a natural birth] are
frightened of what happens in the hospital, but there is not a wide range of choice,” she said. “There
are only two hospitals here in Catalunya where you can guarantee that you can have a natural birth in
vertical position. They are Santa Catarina in Girona, and Hospital de Vendrell in Tarragona. The
Maternidad [in Barcelona] has a natural birth protocol, but in reality they have very few midwives who
know how to deal with a birth without epidural.”

In a normal pregnancy, all that’s required to give birth naturally and safely is trained support and a
comfortable setting, both of which can be provided at home. To prepare for a homebirth, the couple
and midwife meet early on in the pregnancy and then every month, and it’s important that they build
up a good relationship. At the same time, expectant mothers go either through the state Seguridad
Social or a private health scheme for scans, checkups and blood tests.

Homebirth is not covered by the Seguridad Social, but is cheaper than birth in a private hospital. There
are three main options: the first is going through a family health centre that offers homebirth and has
its own team of midwives. Costs start at €1,300, with the actual expense depending on how many
prenatal visits are made. Another option is finding an independent midwife either through websites,
forums or by word of mouth. A third option is to go to a birthing centre. The nearest one to Barcelona
is Migjorn Casa de Naixements. They offer a safe and comfortable space with a birthing pool; a good
option if the home of the mother-to-be is not suitable or she simply wants a different environment.

51
After an initial free consultation, the couple will have a more detailed session where they can discuss
any issues that come up. Mireia Marcos said that this is the point when the issue of safety usually
arises. “It’s quite common that the woman wants a homebirth, but her partner has safety concerns. It
would be terrible for the woman to be giving birth at home and the partner not to be happy with it, and
we don’t allow this to happen. We are evidence based; we have research and the World Health
Organization guidelines to back us up. We talk in a scientific way, we are not silly hippies; we are
professionals. When the men talk to us, they realise we are professionals, and they accept us.”

One of the most common concerns is what happens if an unplanned caesarean is needed. “If this
happens we phone the hospital and say we need the operating theatre,” said Marcos. “We get into the
car and the husband drives on a route that he has practised during the pregnancy. We are never more
than 30 minutes from a hospital. When we arrive the woman goes straight to the theatre.”

Other concerns are bleeding, or haemorrhage after the birth, or having to resuscitate the baby. “The
good thing about these problems is that they can be sorted at home. We have drugs to stop
haemorrhage, and the equipment to resuscitate babies. We go on regular training courses and are
specialised in these kind of problems.”

Once a woman goes into labour she stays in contact with her midwife until she is in labour proper,
when the midwife comes round to help. A family can also choose to have a doula present at the birth.
A doula is a woman who has experienced and assisted births, and is there for emotional support. She
can help a pregnant woman prepare for birth at home or hospital, support her during birth and offers
post-natal support and help with breastfeeding. There are no home checkups by a health visitor here, so
doulas are especially useful for those who have no family nearby.

Women often choose homebirth because they want to be in control of their experience, which is not
always possible in hospital. “In hospital it is the institution that makes the protocol and it’s the medical
team that decide everything from who can be with a woman during labour to all the medical practices
applied,” said Montse Catalan.

Catherine Sherry gave birth at home. “Here, the ‘norm’ is a medicalised birth, but I knew that that
could lead to other complications like forceps delivery, episiotomy [a cut made to ease the exit of the
baby] and even a higher chance of having a caesarean, and I wanted to avoid this,” she said. “The birth
was amazing. Afterwards I was so full of energy and almost high. The feeling of euphoria lasted a long
time and I still get emotional when I talk about the experience. It was incredible.”

Although pain is a common issue surrounding birth, it is well known that the less stressed a woman is
during labour, the less pain she will feel. Homebirth midwives offer the use of homeopathic medicine,
aromatherapy and a birthing pool during labour to minimise stress and aid in a birth with little pain.

While homebirth rates are still low, it is fast establishing itself as a viable option for families who want
a natural birth, especially while it’s still almost unavailable in Spanish hospitals. While it is not for
everyone, for some there is nowhere quite like home.

1,128 words

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 Summary 12 – Practice II

Alizé Cornet showed the most dangerous thing in sport is a woman's body

The recent incidents over how female players should dress at tournaments exposes wider issues about
how women express themselves.

When I was 15, I stepped foot onto a golf course where I had practiced throughout my junior career as
I made my way towards the professional tour. It was a hot and humid summer in Oklahoma, so shorts
were the only practical choice to wear that day. It wasn’t long before I discovered that not everyone
held that opinion. A staff member apologised and said I would have to call my mother to bring me a
longer pair of shorts, otherwise I would have to leave.
I quickly put my hands to my side, to show that I met the dress code for the club, where shorts had to
be at least fingertip-length. In fact, mine were about an inch longer than that. No matter. My mother
wasn’t free to bring me new shorts, so I had to leave.

This humiliating memory resurfaced on a sweltering Tuesday at the US Open, when the French player
Alizé Cornet was hit with a code violation by the chair umpire. She had realized her shirt was on
backwards after a changeover, quickly took it off and switched it around. None of the men at the
tournament were administered fines or penalties while sitting shirtless between games in the heatwave
to cool off. While the code violation was later reversed and Cornet avoided a penalty after US Open
organizers clarified the rules, it highlighted the double standard female athletes often face.

Indeed, it was not the first time a female tennis player’s choice of clothes had come to the attention of
the authorities. It wasn’t even the first time this month. Last week, the French Tennis Federation
president, Bernard Giudicelli, said Serena Williams’ catsuit would no longer be permissible at the
French Open. “I think we sometimes went too far. The combination of Serena this year, for example, it
will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place,” Giudicelli said.
“Respect the game.” That particular statement stands out because Williams was fully covered while
looking like a bonafide superhero, and wore the specially designed catsuit to help prevent blood clots,
a condition that has nearly killed her in the past. The ban also evoked my swift removal from the golf
course despite my adherence to the rules.

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Like Williams, I have a body that came under scrutiny during my professional sports career. I am
naturally muscular, with legs that have been compared to tree trunks by some in the golf industry. And
like Williams, clothes look different on me simply because of my build. We are not the idealized
version of what femininity looks like and because of this, we are punished.

In sports in particular, women have been given mixed messages about what is acceptable, and what is
deemed improper. For instance, while gearing up for the 2012 Olympics in London, the Badminton
World Federation ruled that female players had to wear skirts or dresses to play at the elite level. The
goal was to make the women competing seem more feminine and desirable to a larger audience and to
corporate sponsors, according to the officials. A similar mandate was suggested by the Amateur
International Boxing Association to “help distinguish the women from the men”.

Last year, the LPGA, on whose tour I played, sent out a memo to players that stated: “Length of skirt,
skort, and shorts MUST be long enough to not see your bottom area (even if covered by under shorts)
at any time, standing or bent over.”

Then there are women in hijab who, until recently, were banned from playing football or basketball in
their religious headgear by Fifa and Fiba. So women are either forced to sexualize themselves in order
to compete, or criticized for wanting to stay more modest because of their religious beliefs.
And, in this instance, sports serve as yet another microcosm of society. The mixed signals that women
face over what they should, or should not, wear in athletic competition are no different than from
demands they face in the workplace. Make yourself visually appealing to your male clients, but please
don’t come off as too sexy or provocative. On the other hand, even the most powerful and
accomplished women are criticized for choosing comfort over allure to the male gaze: case in
point: Hillary Clinton wearing kitten heels, rather than stilettos.

The recent events in tennis, in which women have been the targets of a system that either objectifies or
aims to control how they present their bodies, highlights that we aren’t truly free. It doesn’t matter if
you’re the best tennis player in the world wearing a catsuit to prevent blood clots, or if you’re just
making sure your shirt is put on correctly.

In sport, it seems sometimes that women just can’t win.

809 words

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 Summary 13 – Practice III
Gig Economy
It’s Not Technology That’s Disrupting Our Jobs

When we learn about the Industrial Revolution in school, we hear a lot about factories, steam engines,
maybe the power loom. We are taught that technological innovation drove social change and radically
reshaped the world of work. Likewise, when we talk about today’s economy, we focus on
smartphones, artificial intelligence, apps. Here, too, the inexorable march of technology is thought to
be responsible for disrupting traditional work, phasing out the employee with a regular wage or salary
and phasing in independent contractors, consultants, temps and freelancers — the so-called gig
economy.

But this narrative is wrong. The history of labor shows that technology does not usually drive social
change. On the contrary, social change is typically driven by decisions we make about how to organize
our world. Only later does technology swoop in, accelerating and consolidating those changes. This
insight is crucial for anyone concerned about the insecurity and other shortcomings of the gig
economy. For it reminds us that far from being an unavoidable consequence of technological progress,
the nature of work always remains a matter of social choice. It is not a result of an algorithm; it is a
collection of decisions by corporations and policymakers.

Consider the Industrial Revolution. Well before it took place, in the 19th century, another revolution in
work occurred in the 18th century, which historians call the “industrious revolution.” Before this
revolution, people worked where they lived, perhaps at a farm or a shop. The manufacturing of
textiles, for example, relied on networks of independent farmers who spun fibers and wove cloth. They
worked on their own; they were not employees. In the industrious revolution, however, manufacturers
gathered workers under one roof, where the labor could be divided and supervised. For the first time
on a large scale, home life and work life were separated. People no longer controlled how they worked,
and they received a wage instead of sharing directly in the profits of their efforts.

This was a necessary precondition for the Industrial Revolution. While factory technology would
consolidate this development, the creation of factory technology was possible only because people’s
relationship to work had already changed. A power loom would have served no purpose for networks
of farmers making cloth at home. The same goes for today’s digital revolution. While often described
as a second machine age, our current historical moment is better understood as a second industrious

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revolution. It has been underway for at least 40 years, encompassing the collapse, since the 1970s, of
the relatively secure wage-work economy of the postwar era — and the rise of post-industrialism and
the service economy.

Over these four decades we have seen an increase in the use of day laborers, office temps,
management consultants, contract assemblers, adjunct professors, Blackwater mercenaries and every
other kind of worker filing an I.R.S. form 1099. These jobs span the income ranks, but they share what
all work seems to have in common in the post-1970s economy: They are temporary and insecure.

In the last 10 years, 94 percent of net new jobs have appeared outside of traditional employment.
Already approximately one-third of workers, and half of young workers, participate in this alternative
world of work, either as a primary or a supplementary source of income.

Internet technologies have certainly intensified this development (even though most freelancers remain
offline). But services like Uber and online freelance markets like TaskRabbit were created to take
advantage of an already independent work force; they are not creating it. Their technology is solving
the business and consumer problems of an already insecure work world. Uber is a symptom, not a
cause. It’s worth stressing that the “technology” of temp work — and the possibility of replacing entire
work forces with it — existed for years before corporations made the decision to start adopting it.
Today’s smartphone app is an easy way to hire a temp, but is it really that much easier than picking up
a phone was in 1950?

Indeed, shortly after World War II, a Milwaukee man named Elmer Winter founded Manpower, the
first major temp agency, to supply emergency secretaries. But by the end of the ’50s, Winter had
concluded that the future growth of Manpower was in replacing entire work forces. He was uniquely
positioned to teach corporate America how to reduce its work forces, since nearly all of the Fortune
500 companies used his services, and he tried to do so.

But persuading companies to abandon how they operated was easier said than done, even though
Winter could readily demonstrate that it would be cheaper. Few companies took him up on his offer.
Higher profits were possible, but not as important, in the lingering wake of the Great Depression, as
the moral compact between employer and employee. What changed this? The emergence in the 1970s
of a new, strictly financial view of corporations, a philosophy that favored stock and bond prices over
production, of short-term gains over long-term investment. Theories of “lean” corporate organization
became popular, especially those sold by management consultants and business gurus.

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Big corporations had always had their critics, but no one before the ’70s would have thought that
smaller companies would be better run than large ones. Large companies had resources, economies of
scale, professional managers, lots of options. Yet terms like “small” and “efficient” and “flexible”
would come to seem like synonyms. And with the rise of the lean corporation, work forces became
expendable and jobs more precarious. I am neither for nor against temping (or consulting, or
freelancing). If this emergent flexible economy were all bad or all good, there would be no need to
make a choice about it. For some, the rise of the gig economy represents liberation from the stifled
world of corporate America.

But for the vast majority of workers, the “freedom” of the gig economy is just the freedom to be afraid.
It is the severing of obligations between businesses and employees. It is the collapse of the protections
that the people of the United States, in our laws and our customs, once fought hard to enshrine. We
can’t turn back the clock, but neither is job insecurity inevitable. Just as the postwar period managed to
make industrialization benefit industrial workers, we need to create new norms, institutions and
policies that make digitization benefit today’s workers. Pundits have offered many paths forward —
“portable” benefits, universal basic income, worker reclassification — but regardless of the option, the
important thing to remember is that we do have a choice.

Insecurity is not the inevitable cost of technological progress. Only by understanding that fact can we
act to make capitalism work for us, not work us over. Louis Hyman, the director of the Institute for
Workplace Studies at the ILR School at Cornell, is the author of the forthcoming book “Temp: How
American Work, American Business and the American Dream Became Temporary,” from which this
essay is adapted.

1,146 words

By Louis Hyman 18 / 8 / 2018 NYT

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 Summary 14 – Practice IV

Personal Data
At a lunch at the World Economic Forum five years ago, guests were asked to predict what people
would care about around 2019. My mind raced through thoughts about identity and data. When the
host, Marc Benioff, the founder and chairman of Salesforce, turned to me, I stated: “idatity”. Identity
and data are increasingly intertwined. The term I coined that day evokes the need for people to be
more aware of how they safeguard and share their information.

Personal data needs to be regarded as a human right, just as access to water is a human right. The
ability for people to own and control their data should be considered a central human value. The data
itself should be treated like property and people should be fairly compensated for it. As a musician, I
benefit from the copyright system that attaches ownership rights to my lyrics and instrumental tracks.
Why should the data that I generate be handled any differently? It makes no sense that the information
is used as the raw material to produce billions of dollars of income for massive “data monarchs” yet is
of no financial value to me.

But in the five years since that lunch in Davos, these data monarchs—companies like Facebook and
Google that collect, store, mine and sell data—have expanded into giant businesses. While these
companies that give away “free” services have grown rich, the data that belongs to their users has at
times been compromised, and people’s digital habits sold, often without their full knowledge.

The consequences have included fake news and groups that have influenced the outcome of America’s
presidential election and Britain’s “Brexit” referendum to leave the European Union. Phoney social-
media campaigns have been launched in South Africa designed to create chaos. So much for a “free”
account. Has this ugly outcome that has divided societies on three continents been worth the trade?

Of course, I love technology and apps. I’m always using Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. But I’m
tired of being bombarded with content that adds little value to my life, and I’ve become desensitised
and ignore most of it. The data monarchs know more about me than my mother, my government or my

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doctor. Then there’s the question of trust—I’ve lost my faith in social-media networks and search
engines to deliver information that is as true as it is helpful.

There is no data freedom when the options of who to sign up with are limited, the data monarchs rake
in billions and all one gets is a “free” account bursting with advertising, faux news and lame
“sponsored content”. The current arrangement feels lopsided, benefiting the data monarchs more than
it benefits individuals and communities.

Payment is one way to redress the balance. If personal data has been used to build a handful of
companies that exceed $3trn in market value, it should absolutely have monetary worth. But so is
transparency about the terms of trade. I want to have it clearly explained in plain language who has
access to my camera, to my photos, who’s listening to my microphone, and who gets to use this
information. Are my apps tracking my activity and selling information about me? Promisingly, Europe
is making progress with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to help rebalance data rights
to be more transparent and fairer to people.

Now step it up: mix personal data with artificial intelligence (AI) and all these issues become super-
charged. With AI algorithms, police can predict high-crime periods and pinpoint neighborhoods where
more resources should be deployed. Computers can screen x-rays and scans, identifying problems with
more accuracy than the human eye. The potential benefits of such services are huge. But they make it
all the more important that consumers, especially young people, are educated about “What is data?”,
“What is my personal data?” and “Why is it so valuable?”.

I see these issues not just as a user of technology but as an entrepreneur. Social-media platforms are
the companies of today, but they are not the companies of tomorrow. The next data giants will create
new types of services designed to help people. They will become the most valuable companies in the
world by providing beneficial new uses of data and AI for people, based on a combination of trust,
services that improve one’s life and the involvement of communities.

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Today, my gadgets may count my steps, but they aren’t seeing the big picture: what I ate, how I felt,
what my blood pressure is. New services, built from the point of view of the consumer, will benefit me
by sharing and interconnecting my own data, rather than selling it on. When more trust is established,
my personal “agent” or “assistant” should merge relevant things together that are currently just

disconnected data points. Their systems will be based on conversational computing and aimed at
consumers and businesses. Consumers will be able to read the terms-of-service agreements that are fair
to both sides and don’t require an attorney to decipher. It will be so easy that your granny can use it. It
will be intelligent and useful, from directions to find the right train station, to guidance on how to live
a healthier life. You will trust it and value it.

Despite dark, cinematic visions of a future hijacked by algorithms, I am an optimist that AI and data
can contribute to society. It is time to focus on doing what is moral, fair and right. I challenge today’s
data monarchs and the next generation of leaders to put their energies into data and AI that serve
humanity first, instead of designing platforms bent on controlling humanity with money as the primary
goal.

The ideas behind “idatity” are becoming understood. So what would I say today over lunch about what
people will care about in five years? Actually, I’d say “idatity” again because i.am my data, and my AI
agent should be my personal data scientist. But in five years, I believe this will be the norm.
Tomorrow’s entrepreneurs will create virtuous companies that honour people’s data. They will make
use of my data with my consent but I will always own it.
will.i.am, The Economist, 2019
(1028 words)

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 Summary 15 – Practice V

You're not alone: how to survive your horrible boss

In hindsight, Zoe regrets not heeding the red flags she noticed when interviewing for the office job she
held for a year. “The CEO joked around a little bit inappropriately,” she recalls, “Also, I heard him
yelling in his office when I was waiting for my interview to begin.”

Soon after she was hired, Zoe (whose name has been changed to protect her professionally) realized
her boss hadn’t just been having a bad day; he was a bully and a big-time yeller.

“I think he thought that respect could be gained by being the loudest one in the room, and he yelled
because he wanted to assert his dominance,” she says. Not that it worked. “It made it seem like he
didn’t have control and didn’t actually know what was going on,” she adds.

There are, according to Dr Gary Namie, director of the Workplace Bullying Institute, 25 common
habits that can qualify a boss as a bully. Of this list, most bad bosses mix several nasty traits to create
their own particular flavor of intolerability. Zoe’s boss, for example, embodied a spicy blend of
“exhibiting presumably uncontrollable mood swings”, “making verbal put-downs” and “yelling,
screaming and throwing tantrums”.

Zoe hadn’t experienced anything like her boss’s temper before. She remained silent as he ranted, often
about things that had practically nothing to do with her work, like how annoyed he was that the coffee
machine was malfunctioning, or that her whole generation was lazy and selfish. When he finished, she
returned to her desk and struggled to regain her calm and focus for the rest of the day.

It wasn’t long before the stress Zoe felt from being yelled at began to affect her personal life.

“It taxed my relationship with my boyfriend horribly,” she says. “He spent a year listening to me cry
and scream and get out all of my negative emotions that should have been aimed at my boss, and
unfortunately it burnt him out, and it burnt out the whole relationship.”

Zoe quickly realized she had more to lose. “I had lost energy for almost all the things that I loved
doing,” she says. “I realized I was losing who I was because I was so unhappy.” She soon quit.

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For those who have never had an abusive boss, Zoe’s story may sound shocking – but situations like
hers are not uncommon: half of both the US and UK workforces report having left a job because of a
boss who yelled at or otherwise tormented employees.

A 2017 study on abusive supervision found that people who have worked with a bullying boss report
being more withdrawn and depressed, and that targets of abusive supervision report symptoms that
bear “striking similarities to those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder”.

Research has long supported a link between workplace abuse and negative consequences for
employees – if your boss is antagonistic, you’re more likely to have anxiety and stress headaches, and
lose sleep and your ability to concentrate. A new study from the International Journal of
Environmental Research and public Health even found people coping with workplace abuse had a
heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

According to the author Alison Green, young or new employees can be especially impressionable: “If
you have someone modeling how to manage while yelling, there is a high risk that new managers are
going to pick that up as well,” she says. “People get their cues of what is and isn’t acceptable from
their managers and treating someone badly simply because you have power over them is pretty
abusive.”

New research from Villanova University reveals that it’s not just workers who suffer when their boss
is abusive – it may come as a relief to learn that bad managers themselves face consequences for being
insufferable jerks.

“What we found is that the abusive boss is significantly hurt by their own behaviors,” says the lead
researcher, Dr Manuela Priesemuth. “They actually lose their social worth, which is basically feeling
valued and appreciated by other people. And because they miss this crucial component of self-worth,
they’re also going to perform worse at their work.” Basically, if you treat people badly they’re not
going to like you, and for social creatures like humans, being disliked is hurtful and disadvantageous.

Is that good news? Well … kind of. Priesemuth found “many managers realize the social cost of their
behavior and stop – unless they have psychopathic tendencies”. Psychopaths, she explains, “don’t
really care about social worth because they don’t really care about other people.” If your abusive boss
belongs to the 15% of bad bosses who Priesemuth determined are psychopaths, that’s “very bad”, she
says.

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So let’s consider the worst-case scenario: what do you do if you are working with someone you
suspect is pathologically callous, and, for whatever reason, you are unable or unwilling to simply quit?

“I would start by asking – am I safe having a gentle, backstage conversation with this person about
their behavior?” says Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of 2017’s The Asshole Survival
Guide: How to Deal with People who Treat You Like Dirt. “And if you don’t feel safe, then who in
your network can you recruit to confront this person with you?”

If confrontation is not going to fly, Sutton suggests what he calls “mind tricks to save your soul”:
essentially cognitive behavioral therapy tactics involving mentally reframing a threat to reduce its
impact.

One such trick is just to see the existential absurdity of your torment in the context of the fleeting
nature of time. “When something’s unpleasant, you remind yourself that this is just temporary, and that
‘when I look back at this, a year or two from now, it’ll just be nothing’,” says Sutton.

Yet if the idea of needing to dissociate from your dreary plight as a beleaguered office grub just to
survive seems a little too soul-destroying to be a viable solution, studies suggest you can, in fact, fight
fire with fire. Research from 2014 found that employees with hostile bosses are better off when they
respond with passive aggression.

The study, conducted by Professor Bennett Tepper of Ohio State University, found that employees
who responded passive-aggressively to their abhorrent bosses by ignoring them, feigning ignorance of
the cause of their rage, or just giving a half-hearted effort were “less likely to see themselves as
victims”.

When employees retaliate against bad bosses, they suffered less psychological distress and job
dissatisfaction. What’s more, these employees didn’t feel like their reciprocal hostility negatively
affected their careers – rather, Tepper posits they may in fact enjoy increased admiration from their
colleagues, thereby becoming more committed to their workplace.

Handling an abusive boss, then, is not unlike dealing with a schoolyard bully: if you can’t walkaway or
remain unbothered by their antics, it may be best to fight back. 1135 words

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 Writing 1 - Unfinished stories
In the beginning was the word, and
the word was aardvark
In pairs finish the stories below in 25 words Anon

Story 1: You had a date to meet your boyfriend / girl friend at the movies. You arrived late,
entered the dark theatre and sat down next to someone who appears to be your
boyfriend/girlfriend, and...

Story 2: It was your first day as a new university professor. You were terribly nervous
anyway, but to make matters worse, you noticed that your students were staring at you fixedly
and giggling. You looked down, and much to your chagrin discovered...

Story 3: As a teacher at the British Institute, you were asked to supervise the listening
comprehension part of an official “Proficiency in English” exam. Unfortunately, when you
pressed the "play" button on the tape recorder...

Pair Work: Invent a situation like those above and let your partner complete it. Compare your
expectations of how your scene continued with what your partner has invented.

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 Writing 2 - Discourse markers I
Put the following discourse markers into the categories below

At first What is more No sooner…than Secondly

Nevertheless Finally While On the other hand

For example (e.g.) Although In addition to… Next Later

In the end Both…and… First Eventually In contrast

In my opinion In the first place Thus According to…

In this way In the words of X Clearly As far as I am concerned

Owing to this To begin with To sum up Before

Similarly For this reason Not only…but also Hence Second

Strangely enough Still/ Yet On balance Lastly In short

As X wrote/said For instance Since In spite of this Furthermore

From my point of view Afterwards …also… Fortunately, / Unfortunately

Whereas Until As for X Even though/even if

Certainly Due to/Owing to As regards X, … Therefore So

Then/next/after that In comparison Despite this Hardly ..when

But Naturally However In other words Of course

…therefore… Regarding X, … Accordingly, As a result [of]

On the contrary Nor Because Thus Though

That is to say (i.e.) Moreover As Consequently

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 1. TIME 2. COMPARISON 3. CONTRAST

4. ADDITION 5. REASON 6. RESULT

7. ORDER 8. EXAMPLE 9. EXPLANATION

10. ATTRIBUTORS 11. WRITER’S ATTITUDE 12. SUMMING UP

13. NEW SUBJECT

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 Writing 3 - Discourse markers II

Exercise 1 Put two linkers in each space

1) We set off at dawn ________________ avoid the rush hour traffic.

2) Nuria’s mother-in-law was a very difficult woman. _____________________, Nuria couldn’t

help liking her.

3) ________________ being the better player, Richard lost the match.

4) Sales figures have fallen drastically ________________ the recession.

5) The workers covered the furniture with sheets ______________ splash it with paint.

6) After his accident, my brother sold his car _______________ he couldn’t afford the insurance.

7) We accept full responsibility for the error and ______________ wish to offer you a full refund.

8) I agreed to help ________________ I didn’t feel like it.

Exercise 2 Rewrite the sentences using the word(s) in bold

1) We have not received payment for your last bill. Consequently, you are being sent a reminder.
since You are being sent a reminder

2) She wrote down the appointment so that she wouldn’t forget the time. so as
She wrote down the appointment

3) The motorway is being resurfaced and so it will be closed until further notice. result
The motorway is being resurfaced, and

4) The flight is delayed because the incoming plane arrive late due
The flight is delayed

5) He decided to apply for the job although he didn’t meet all the requirements despite
He decided to apply for the job

6) They had an early night in order to be ready for the exam the next day so that
They had an early night

7) She was offered a job even though she wasn’t able to go to the interview spite
She was offered the job

8) He was unable to attend the conference because he was ill owing

He was unable to attend the conference

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 Writing 4 - Formal vs. Informal
Exercise 1
Read sentences 1-10 and decide if each one is formal or informal using the underlined word(s) as a
guide. Then write the sentence number in the correct column in the table below.

Speech Act Formal Informal

Complaining “Easy reading is damned hard
Asking for information writing.”
Giving information Nathaniel Hawthorne
Apologizing
Giving advice

1. Could you please also inform me of the exact dates you would require me to work if I were
accepted for the job.

2. You really shouldn't buy anything in the markets there - it's all poor-quality stuff and far too
expensive.

3. Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in responding to you

4. And I do think the hotel could have organized some kind of bus service - it took us ages to get to
the beach every day!

5. I have a wide range of experience in working with children, including a two-month period spent as
an assistant at an international summer camp.

6. I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you - I've just been so busy lately.

7. Moreover, when the food eventually arrived, the fish was undercooked and we had to ask one of
your waiters to take it back to the kitchen.

8. Owing to the high frequency of thefts in the area we would strongly advise you not to carry large
amounts of cash with you.

9. I've done loads of jobs in hotels so you can believe me when I tell you that the work is often very
stressful.

10. Can you let me know what time you think you'll be arriving?

Exercise 2
Look at the words and expressions that have been underlined in Ex 1. Match each formal word or
expression with its informal equivalent

Exercise 3
Write an informal email / letter explaining about your holiday – 200 words

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 Writing 5 - Formal vs. Informal

This is the final part of a letter from a teacher who will be staying in your area with a group of foreign
students next month requesting information.

I would be very grateful if you could provide us with information on any dance shows we could see
during our stay. Is there one you would particularly recommend? Thank you in advance for your help.

Exercise 1
Decide which sentence in each pair, a) or b), is more formal.

1. a) I've seen every one of their shows and I’d definitely go and see this new one if I were you.
b) I saw them on all three previous occasions and would certainly recommend going to see this
latest show.

2. a) The advert says they’re strong and powerful like workmen but also really skilful tap dancers.
b) According to the publicity, the show combines the strength and power of workmen with the
precision and talent of tap dancing.

3. a) Firstly, the popular Irish dance troupe ‘Rhythm of the Dance’ will be performing here for the
fourth time in five years.
b) To start with, there’s the Irish dance troupe ‘Rhythm of the Dance’, who are on here again for
the fourth time in five years.

4. a) If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
b) If you want any more info, just let me know.

5. a) I'm just writing to tell you about some of the dance shows you could go and see with your
students when you come next month.
b) I am writing in reply to your request for information on dance shows which your students could
see during their visit here next month.

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6. a) In addition, the six Australians dance on water during the performance, splashing members of
the audience in the front rows.
b) Also, there’s a lot of dancing on water during the show and people in the front rows get a bit
wet.

7. a) Whichever of these shows they go to, I’m sure your students will have a great time.
b) I feel certain your students would enjoy either of the shows I have described.

8. a) There are loads of shows you could go to, but here are two I think they'll be especially
interested in.
b) There is a wide range of shows to choose from, but there are two which I believe would be of
particular interest to your students.

9. a) Another option which sounds enjoyable is the all-male Australian tap dance group, ‘Tap Dogs’.
b) Another one that sounds like it could be fun is ‘Tap Dogs’, a tap dance group from Australia
with just men in it.

10. a) There’s the usual mix of traditional dance and music but this time apparently, they’ve got all the
latest technology in it.
b) It includes their usual mixture of traditional dance and music, but combines it, this time
apparently, with up-to-date stage technology.

Exercise 2
Put the sentences from Ex. 1 in the correct order to make a letter using the formal versions. Organize
the letter into logical paragraphs.

Exercise 3
Write your letter of application in 200 words to the ad below using a formal style.

Vacancies
We require English-speaking volunteers to help at a four-day international pop and rock music festival aimed at
raising money for charity. What relevant music-related interests do you have? Do you have experience of working
with people? How would you benefit from helping at this event? Why would you be suitable as a volunteer?

70
 Writing 6 - Complete a letter I
Instructions
Complete the eight sentences below using the prompts – you will need to conjugate verbs and/or add
words as needed.

Dear Tony,
1) Many thanks / your letter / arrive / yesterday.

__________________________________________________

2) I / be / very sorry / hear about / your father / illness.

__________________________________________________

3) be / there / any chance / he come / down here / convalesce?

__________________________________________________

4) As you know/ be/ plenty / room / since Peter /return college

__________________________________________________

5) I be sure / sea / air / do / your / father good.

__________________________________________________

6) I collect/him/station/any afternoon/next week /you put/train

__________________________________________________

7) Let know / soon / possible / so I arrange / meet him.

__________________________________________________

8) Best wishes / you / your father / us all.

__________________________________________________

Yours David

71
 Writing 7 - Complete a letter II
Instructions
Belinda is working as a maid in the home of Sir William. She is writing to her boyfriend, Charlie, who
is a well-known burglar. Using the prompts, rewrite them into complete sentences conjugating verbs
and adding words as necessary (they are in the correct order).

1) There be / few small bars / gold and / bag full / old Spanish coins.
2) There not be / diamonds on their own but there be / earrings and bracelets.
3) There be / lovely necklace which I / like / keep.
4) The best thing / all / be / Lady Gertrude’s Tiara with / famous ruby.
5) So / I / not think many people / will / buy it.
6) There be / suitcases full / US dollars / but unfortunately there not be / Swiss francs.
7) There / few old Persian / carpets. How many / you think / we can carry / van?
8) There be / several / modern paintings / and one of a clown I like / Picasso; ask Wilma / much be
worth.

Dear Charlie,
Good news! I have found out where everything is. There is a secret room in the cellar and this is
what is inside...

Next weekend they’re all going to a wedding in Monaco. I’ll be waiting for you by the kitchen door
at 2 o’clock on Saturday morning. We’re going to be rich my love!

See you soon

Belinda

72
 Writing 8 - Discursive I
Topic
It is better to read a book than see a film version of the book. Do you
“If you don’t know where you’re
agree? going, any path will get you there.”
Cheshire Cat – Alice in
Exercise 1 Wonderland
Quickly read the following answer to this question and note the purpose
of each paragraph?

Many of people prefer watching a film to reading the same story in a book. Both forms of

entertainment have their advantages and disadvantages, so it really depend on the circumstances.

In the one hand, books offer more entertainment value than films. It takes more time to read a

book, so the enjoyment lasts more longer. In addition, readers can use their imagination to decide

what do the characters and places in the story look like, whereas the film gives only one

interpretation, which might not be the best. Furthermore, the most interested scenes in the book may

be cut for the film, sometimes with a negative effect on the story.

On the other hand, watching a film takes less effort that reading a novel, which requires more

active participation from the reader. Consequently. the film version is ideal if you are too tired to

open book. A further advantage of films is that they are very visual and often. therefore, more

memorable. You may need reading a book more than once to fix it in your memory.

On balance, I think always it is better to read the story first, because you can get a better idea of

the author intention. Afterwards, you can see it on film if you want compare.

Exercise 2
Now underline and correct the grammar mistakes

Topic
It is better for local authorities to spend money on museums rather than libraries. Do you agree?

73
Exercise 3
Fill in the gaps with the following words:

conclude hand invest more opinion result pay spend too whereas

In recent years museums have become more interactive, and as a (1) ____________ attract more

visitors. The number of adults entering libraries, on the other (2) ____________ has fallen, as e-book

readers have become more popular. Which of these two places should local authorities (3) __________

more money in?

Certainly, museums are important to us as places to store objects which tell us about our past.

Libraries (4) ____________ though, are places where knowledge is kept for future generations, in a

world where information-storage devices and formats are constantly changing.

However, museums can raise money by charging entrance fees, (5) ___________ libraries provide

free access to Internet services and books to families who cannot afford to buy them. In my (6)

_________ therefore, libraries are more in need of local authority money than museums.

What is (7) _________ investment in libraries would increase the number of visitors by enabling

them to become dynamic and interactive like museums. Libraries could use the money to (8)

____________ for talks by authors or storytellers, and organize other cultural activities, such as

workshops for children.

To (9) ____________ local authorities should (10) ____________ more money on libraries to

help them become as popular as museums.

Exercise 4
Write an essay on topic below – 200 words

It is better for schools to spend money on tablets for their students rather than books. Do you agree?

74
 Writing 9 - Discursive II: Correcting “No passion in the world is equal to the
passion to alter someone else’s draft”
and proofing H.G. Wells

This is an exercise in proof reading – an essential skill for translators. The

following are sentences from discursive essays written by B1 students on the
topics of abortion and pop music. How can they be improved?

1. Everyone has its own opinion and it will be a controversial issue during a long time.

2. The only economical benefits the drug can produce goes to the traffickers.

3. Is it right for a woman to have to take care of a baby who will be sick until the day he dies?

4. Having a baby requires a great sacrifice which a person must be able to assume.

5. The music industry has experimented plenty of changes through the ages.

6. The rap and pop songs of the last ten years talk about drugs, money and sex, using those very
words, which in the seventies would be unthinkable.

7. Marihuana is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant, it is used for Medical and recreational
purposes.

8. Having an abortion is still so expensive and there is not any monetary help, that is why public
health services should include abortions.

9. An abortion treated in good conditions usually is secure and ends up good.

10. In reggaeton is always used the same beat for all the songs.

11. Abortions should be included in public Health services to ensure everyone’s safety, regardless of
their economical background.

12. Music doesn’t expire, each one can listen the music that they want.

Now classify the errors by the general categories below and note the total number for each. What are
the most common mistakes in each category (e.g. subject/verb agreement, false friend, missing comma etc.)

Grammar

Lexical

Punctuation

Other

75
 Writing 10 - Complete a memo / email

Instructions
Using the prompts, write out the complete sentences to complete this memo or email. Conjugate the
verbs and add words as necessary.

FROM: Mary Hobson, Personal manager

TO: John Pearce, Divisional Sales Manager

1) sorry / you / unable / attend / staff meeting / 15 Nov

__________________________________________________

2) following / be / my notes / staff meeting /15 Nov/ promised

__________________________________________________

3) Everyone / agree / it / be / necessary / take on / new sales rep / early spring

__________________________________________________

4) Sales / our new video game / increase / rapidly / past year / expect / go on / rise / coming year
__________________________________________________

5) I / be / anxious / have / your opinion / whether we / appoint / someone / experience / or / training

__________________________________________________

6) If we / appoint / trainee / then / it / be / necessary / promote / someone / your / department

__________________________________________________

7) I / be / glad / have / your views / soon / possible

__________________________________________________

8) I / go / away / Dec 20 / and not be / back till Jan 12

__________________________________________________

9) The matter / be / discuss / further / next meeting / Jan 20

__________________________________________________

76
 Writing 11 - Punctuating – phrases and sentences
What is the message on the banner in this recent protest march by
Extinction Rebellion? Is there more than one interpretation?
“Punctuation marks are the traffic
signals of language: they tell us to slow
down, notice this, take a detour, and
stop.”
Lynne Truss

Placards and banners usually have

very short and don’t tend to use
punctuation, but if you had to write
this in, say, an article, you would have
to add whatever punctuation is
necessary to clarify the meaning.
Write this phrase in the space below
with the interpretations you have found and punctuate accordingly. Consult the reference materials
“The Mechanics of Writing” in the appendix.

The following sentences are not punctuated. Read, interpret and

punctuate accordingly. Where there is more than one interpretation,
write the sentence again below with the alternative punctuation to
reflect the other meaning.

1. He put on his trousers dress shirt and shoes

2. Lets eat grandma

3. Elephants please stay in your car

4. Monster man eating shark

5. Trumps son who drives a Mercedes lives near me

6. The blood stains on the other hand mean that he is guilty

7. I love hot dogs he said with relish

8. Thou shalt commit adultery

9. I have just found twenty five dollar bills

10. All things come to him whose name is on the mailing list

11. Real Madrid are the second best team there is no better praise than that

12. I am sorry I love you

77
 Writing 12 - Punctuating – paragraphs
The following text has had all the punctuation removed. Read, interpret and then rewrite below into
two paragraphs with the appropriate punctuation.

The punctuation system of a language has two functions its

primary purpose is to enable stretches of written language to

be read in a coherent way its secondary role is to give an

indication of the rhythm and colour of speech though no

languages punctuation does this consistently it differs from

speech in that it is taught in schools and norms of punctuation

are usually laid down by publishing houses or style manuals

punctuation is mainly used to separate units of grammar and

discourse paragraphs sentences clauses phrases and words

from each other the various marks are broadly organised in a

hierarchical manner some identify large units of writing such

as paragraphs others identify small units of intermediate size

or complexity such as semi colons and commas.

And, finally…can punctuation make this politician’s press conference answer intelligible?

I know that you believe that you understand what you think I said but I am not sure
you realise that what you heard is not what I meant
Robert McCloskey, US State Department Spokesman

78
 Listening 1 – Multiple Choice
Exercise 1 The following adjectives can all be used to describe a person’s character.
Which are positive and which are negative.

sociable mean tolerant patient sensitive polite

sincere selfish decisive lazy reliable cheerful

practical mature bad-tempered adventurous moody sensible

Exercise 2 Arrange the adjectives according to the prefix to form the negative

Un- In- Im- Different

Exercise 3 Think of two people you know and describe what these people are like,
using the adjectives above.

Exercise 4 One adjective in each group is not normally used with the noun at the end

1) flowing scruffy bald shoulder-length straight spiky Hair

2) dark hazel sparkling almond-shaped piercing pierced Eyes

3) wrinkled freckled thinning round tanned expressive Face

4) smooth pale dark healthy well-built spotty Complexion

Exercise 5 What is the difference between the groups of words

- fat plump overweight

- thin slim skinny

79
Exercise 6 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. Choose the best answer
T1.37 – 1.44

1) You hear a woman on the radio talking about her father. What does she say?
A He was not very talkative
B He was very similar to her
C He was very sure of himself

2) You overhear a man talking about a former teacher. What does he say?
A His teaching style was boring
B His behavior was distracting
C His enthusiasm was contagious

3) You overhear a woman talking about one of her employees. What is she complaining about?
A His untidy appearance
B His poor punctuality
C His impolite behaviour

4) You hear a part of a radio programme in which a man is giving advice. Who is he giving advice to?
A parents
B teachers
C teenagers

5) You overhear a woman talking on her phone about some clothes. What does she want to do
with the clothes?
A throw them away
B give them to sb
C sell them

6) You hear a man and a woman talking about a person in a photograph. Who is the person in the
photograph?
A the man’s sister
B the man’s mother
C the man’s daughter

7) You hear an elderly woman talking to a man about her new neighbours. What does she like
about them?
A They are often away at weekends
B They have been very friendly
C They look after their garden

8) You hear a man talking on the radio about a musician who influenced him. What was it about
the musician that influenced him?
A his fashion style
B his musical style
C his performing style

80
 Listening 2 – Multiple Matching
Exercise 1 When, if ever, do you use a bicycle? How common is it for people to
cycle in your country? How safe is it?

Exercise 2 You will hear five different people speaking on the subject of cycling within a city.
T1.55-1.59 For questions 1-5, chose from the list A-H the phrase which best summarizes what
each speaker is talking about. There are three extra letters you do not need to use.

A a move in the right direction

B the consequences of breaking the law Speaker 1

C the need to educate the public Speaker 2

D the lack of open spaces to cycle in Speaker 3

E the problem of pollution Speaker 4

F a feeling of freedom Speaker 5

G the dangers of not being visible to drivers

H the intolerance of other road users

Exercise 3 Use the context to help work out the meanings of the phrasal verbs in bold in
these sentences from the listening

1) I get shouted at by people who still haven’t caught on that it’s me that has the right of way, not them
2) I get off the train, put on my helmet and head for the office
3) Someone in the town hall came up with a nice idea to promote cycling in the city.
4) There’s a real festival atmosphere now with thousands of cyclists of all ages turning out every month
5) Sometimes you come across some really nasty drivers in the city
6) People don’t generally use a bike to get about the city

Exercise 4 Discuss with your partner:

- Where are you heading for after this class?

- Did you come across any friendly people on your last holiday?
- What is the best way to get about your town or city?

81
 Listening 3 – Sentence Completion
Exercise 1 How does superstition affect your / or a friend’s behaviour? Give examples

Exercise 2 You will hear a woman called Sally Hurst talking on the radio about
T1.61 the Superstition Mountain Range in The US. Complete the sentences

The Superstition Mountains

While she was in the Superstition Mountains, Sally was able to 1) ________________

Sally does not recommend visiting the area in 2) ________________

Sally says the mountains were probably given their name by local 3) ___________ in the 19th century

The owner of the gold mine was a 4) ________________ immigrant.

The mine owner died in 5) ________________ 1891

It was estimated at one point that as many as 6) ________________ people every year tried to find the
lost mine

According to one clue, when the sun is 7) ________________, it shines into the entrance of the mine

The section on the mine in the Superstition Mountain Museum contains a collection of 8) _________

Goldfield is now a 9) ________________ town, visited by many tourists

Dutchman’s gold is the title of a 10) ________________ about the lost mine

Exercise 3 Discuss with a partner:

- Do you know any places with mysteries or legends attached to them?

- Give as much detail as you can
- Invent a story about a place that you know and explain it

82
 Listening 4 - Multiple Choice
Exercise 1 What do you think happens on a Ghost Walk? What would the guide do?

Exercise 2 Listen to the interview with a guide for a ghost walk. Choose the best answer T1.60

1) Alan says his job as a ghost walk guide has enabled him to
A become an expert on local history
B combine his different talents
C improve his acting skills

2) Alan says that participants in the ghost walks

A are never disappointed
B want to be frightened
C laugh at all his jokes

3) According to Alan, what quality enables a storyteller to frighten aundecies?

A self-confidence
B a loud voice
C good timing

4) What type of people do not usually enjoy the ghost walk so much?
A people who have not been anticipating it
B people who have come as part of a group
C people who do not like surprises

5) What does Alan say about playing different characters on the ghost walks?
A Some of the roles help to improve his mood
B He dresses up as real people from history
C Acting helps maintain the audience’s interest

6) When talking about the possible existence of ghosts, Alan says that
A he respects other people’s belief in ghosts
B he believes ghosts are parts of people’s imagination
C he suspects people of inventing stories to impress others

7) When talking about his favorite ghost story, Alan says that
A he does not want to give all the details
B he does not tell it on many ghost walks
C he does not think everyone enjoys it

Exercise 3 Discuss with a partner:

- Have you or anyone you know ever had a paranormal experience?

- Do you believe that ghosts of haunted buildings exist?
- Would you be interested in going on a ghost walk? Why (not)?

83
 Listening 5 - Sentence Completion
Exercise 1 You will hear someone giving a talk about sports psychology.
WB T1.6 For questions 1-10, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

The speaker says that as a schoolboy he had no (1) ____________

Matthew Syed was an Olympic' (2) ____________

According to Syed, we need to practise for about (3) ____________ hours to become a successful
sportsperson or musician.

Tiger Woods started learning golf when he was (4) ____________ years old.

Success in sport becomes more difficult at a later age due to the number of (5) __________ we have.

Many successful players came from Syed's (6) ____________

Syed attributes his own success ta having a particularly good (7) ____________

Andre Agassi has written a book entitled (8) ____________

Syed had a bad sporting experience in (9) ____________

Some sports stars depend a great deal on (10) ____________ to cope with the pressure of competing.

Exercise 2 The collocations in bold are from the listening. Complete the collocations
with words from the box. You need to use two of the words twice.

for in on to

1 It was really humiliating not to be picked ____________ a team when I was at school.

2 My parents' encouragement played a big part ____________ helping me to keep training

regularly.

3 If you don't put the hours ____________ you won't get anywhere in sport.

4 Lucy loves the idea of playing the flute but when it comes ____________ practising she's not so
keen!

5 A lot of young people train hard to become swimmers but only a very few make it ____________
the very top.

6 Seb Coe is a former Olympic champion but he went ____________ to be a very important person in
the organizing of the Olympic' Games in London in 2012.

84
 Listening 6 - Multiple Choice
Exercise 1 You will hear a man talking on a radio programme about changes he has noticed in his home town.
T1.7
1 Tommy has not returned to his home town for a long time because
A he has had to devote all his time to acting.
B there are some aspects of his life there he is ashamed of.
C he no longer has close relatives in the area.

2 What contributed most to the changes in Tommy's attitude to life?

A becoming a celebrity
B being a long way from home
C not having his friends around him

3 How has the centre of Tommy's home town changed?

A The shops there are much bigger.
B It offers more facilities for families.
C The road system has altered.

4 How does Tommy feel about the changes made to the road where he used to live?
A He regrets the loss of green spaces.
B He is concerned about overcrowding in the area.
C He is full of admiration for the design of the new buildings.

5 What did Tommy use to do in his free time?

A Walk other people's dogs for them.
B Meet up with his friends outside the shops.
C Do open-air sporting activities.

6 Why did Tommy's parents want him to join the drama group?
A They thought it would keep him out of trouble.
B They felt he had real acting talent.
C They wanted to pass on their love of the theatre.

7 What does Tommy say he has heard about his old school?
A The sports facilities have improved.
B People think more highly of it now.
C The students are more involved in looking after the gardens.

Exercise 2 Match the phrasal verbs in extracts 1-6 from the listening to the meanings a-f.
1 Tommy Wells, the famous TV and film star, is a local boy who grew up in Marchwood.
2 Most of the mates I really valued moved on, like me.
3 I don't think I was a very nice person at that time. But I grew out of it, luckily!
4 …all been knocked down and replaced with boring blocks of flats and retirement homes!
5 We used to hang out in the local park and practise our football skills.
6 My English teacher ... pushed me to join the local drama group. I must admit I
wasn't too keen - I'd rather have been chilling out with my mates!

a demolish b spend time in a particular place (informal) c spend time relaxing (informal)
d change from being a baby or young child to being an older child or adult
e stop behaving in a certain way because you are older f leave one place to go to another

85
 Listening 7- Multiple Choice
For questions 1-7, choose the best answer
1 Gail believes that people
A cut down trees for building and furniture too easily.
B do not spend enough time in the countryside.
C do not think trees are an important subject.
D None of the above

2 Gail's main concern is related to

A clean air.
B quality of life.
C money.
D None of the above

3 What do Gail and her husband like about the position of their house?
A It is near woodland.
B It looks onto an open space
C It is near a tourist attraction
D None of the above

4 Why have the trees in her area been protected?

A to stop them becoming extinct
B to avoid an artificial habitat
C to prevent new building projects
D None of the above

5 When did the tree disappear from Gail's garden?

A during the night
B during the tourist season
C while Gail was on holiday
D None of the above

6 Why did Gail's neighbour want her to cut the tree down?
A He thought it was dangerous
B It was too expensive for him to cut down himself.
C He wanted his house to be worth more.
D None of the above

7 What has the neighbour done since the court case?

A He has refused to speak to Gail and her husband.
B He has not hung around.
C He has apologized.
D None of the above

86
 Listening 8 – Multiple Choice
For questions 1–7, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
1 Peter first became interested in the weather because
A he read a book about it when he was very young.
B he was shocked at how the weather constantly changed.
C his father had an interest and passed it to his son.
D None of the above

2 How does Peter feel about the weather these days?

A He is astonished by unexpected weather events.
B He is impressed by the speed at which weather events occur.
C He is confident in man’s ability to predict events.
D None of the above

3 What does Peter say about making weather forecasts?

A The computer information is very complex.
B The people involved are all well-qualified professionals.
C A couple of factors have to be taken into account.
D None of the above

4 According to Peter, we all talk about the weather because

A it is often the only thing people have in common.
B it is the expected way to start a conversation.
C it has a hold on every aspect of life.
D None of the above

5 Peter believes that weather forecasters

A need to study acting.
B are often imaginative people.
C should have interests apart from the weather.
D None of the above

6 Peter enjoys
A travelling around the country.
B watching strange weather conditions.
C explaining the reasons behind weather conditions.
D None of the above

7 What does Peter believe will happen in the future?

A Forecasting will eventually become perfect.
B Computers will eventually create the forecasts.
C Forecasting will prevent events such as forest fires.
D None of the above

87
 Listening 9 – Podcast 1
1) What have fairy tales picked up on their travels? 00:00 – 00:35

2) What is the other name for fairy tales? 00:36 – 00:44

3) What does she draw together in her book? 00:45 – 1:00

4) How were fairy tales remembered? 1:01 – 1:22

5) What did popular tales come up against? 1:23 – 1:40

6) What is still a matter of debate? 1:41 – 2:12

7) Who were the most famous collectors and what did they end up doing? 2:13 – 2:35

8) What was their legacy? 2:35 – 3:04

9) What multiple ways can they be told? 3:05 – 3:40

88
 Listening 10 – Podcast 2
1) How do they describe different dictionaries? 0:00 – 00:45
- New:
- Old:
- Good:
- Great:

2) What does a dictionary seem to say? 0:46 – 1:05

3) What can definitions almost never do? 1:06 – 1:40

4) Why did Erin McKean set up an on-line dictionary? 1:41 – 2:05

5) What was John Simpson’s first job at OED? 2:06 – 2:44

6) What two things happened in 1982? 2:45 – 3:20

7) What three things can be done by a modern dictionary? 3:21 – 3:59

8) How long does it take for a new word to enter the OED? 4:00 – 4:34

9) What was special about Greens’ dictionary? 4:35 – 5:18

10) What four things are included in the Urban Dictionary? 5:18 – 5:56

89
 Listening 11 - Podcast 3
1) How can we spot the present subjunctive? 0:00 – 0:40

2) Give four examples of present subjunctive which are used in frozen phrases? 0:40 - 1:27

3) What language does Islam and Judaism worship in? Why? 1:27 - 2:03

4) What system did the Christian’s take up? 2:03 – 2:52

5) Why did St Jerome make mistakes in his translation? How many? 2:52 – 3:25

6) Why did the Goth leader, Wulfila, change his translation for “Lord”? 3:25 – 3:56

7) Should churches regularly update their translations? 3:56 – 4:36

8) What answer does the speaker give and why? 4:36 – 5:58

90
 Listening 12 - Podcast 4
1) Why did the Linguistic Society of Paris ban Darwin’s theory? 0:00 – 0:48

2) What is there no common ground on more than 100 years later? 0:48 – 1:20

3) What did Noam Chomsky originally say? 1:20 – 1:44

4) What was Stephen Jay Gould’s theory? 1:44 – 2:38

5) What did Steven Pinker and Paul Bloom put forward in 1990? 2:38 – 3:32

6) What did Noam Chomsky eventually come to believe? 3:32 – 4:25

7) What does Michael Corballis think? 4:25 – 5:16

8) Why are these problems hard to solve? 5:16 – 5:56

91
 Listening 13 - Podcast 5
1) How will English children be made to learn grammar? 00:00 – 00:30

2) What have policymakers, researchers and critics been arguing over? 00:30 – 00:45

3) Why are teachers themselves unprepared for the changes in the new exam? 00:45 – 1:18

4) What three examples are given that 11 year olds need to know? 1:18 – 1:44

5) What does Michael Ronsen point out? 1:44 – 2:35

6) What conclusion did the meta-study come to? 2:35 – 3:07

7) What did Bas Aarts, a syntactician at University College London, defend? 3:07 – 3:41

8) Why does the author disagree with Mr Aarts? 3:41 – 4:29

9) What metaphor is given for children’s learning? 4:29 – 5:02

10) Why is it not “raising standards”? 5:02 – 5:39

92
 Listening 14 – Podcast 6
1) What is it hard to imagine now? 00:10 – 00:45

2) Why is it good that Swift did not get his wish? 00:45 – 1:20

3) __________. Foreign journalists pay more __________ to the Académie française than do the
French __________. It is an endless __________ of articles like those in __________ weeks
saying that the Académie will __________ “allow” the feminisation of job __________. The
sexism of masculine __________ such as le président, le premier ministre and le docteur has
__________ the country for __________. Traditionally, these had no feminine forms. On
February __________ the Académie gave its ______________ to feminine ______________:
la présidente, la première ministre and la docteure. 1:20 – 2:00

4) What info is given about the Académie? 2:00 – 2:35

5) __________ they may have, but no power. As long ago as __________ the government
recognised those feminine job titles, and __________ that they be taught in schools. At the
__________ the Académie strongly __________ —and was ignored. Its work is strictly
advisory; __________ then, it is not always the best source of __________. Its dictionary—in
theory the ______ premier product—is not considered France’s _________. The membership’s
average age is in the _______; only __________ of the members are women. 2:35 – 3:11

6) What did the radio station France Culture say about it? 3:11 – 3:47

7) When can the academies help? 3:47 – 4:25

8) Take the __________ of pronunciation and spelling. Always and __________, the sounds of
words __________; so every once in a while, official bodies step in to __________ up the
orthography, getting __________ of inconsistencies and silent letters, nativising foreign
__________ and so on. Traditionalists __________ —this too is universal—but in most cases,
the new spellings __________ in without much ______. In Europe in the 20th century alone,
__________ spelling reforms affected the __________ of Russian, German, Danish, Dutch and
other _______. 4:25 – 4:59

9) What work do they do in deeper aspects of language? 4:59 – 5:30

10) Who has the real power? 5:30 – 5:55

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 Use of English 1 – Transformations I
The second sentence of a transformation is a paraphrase of the first sentence; it expresses the same
idea but with different words. Transformations test your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and
collocation. More than one feature of grammar and/or vocabulary may be tested in a single transformation

For questions 1–10, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words,
including the word given.

1 Why don’t you throw away that old blouse?

RID
How about _______________________________________ that old blouse?

2 I still find it strange to wear glasses.

USED
I still haven’t _______________________________________ glasses.

3 He never asks when he borrows my things!

ALWAYS
He is _______________________________________ asking!

4 Simon doesn’t usually drink coffee.

UNUSUAL
It _______________________________________ drink coffee.

5 Helen is not usually so pessimistic.

LIKE
It is _______________________________________ so pessimistic.

6 I can’t wait to see you again.

FORWARD
I’m really _______________________________________ you again.

7 How long was your journey from London to Manchester?

TAKE
How long _______________________________________ get from London to Manchester?

8 When the meeting was over, they went out for a drink
HAD
As _______________________________________ finished, they went out for a drink.

9 When we eventually got to the party, all the food had been eaten
GOT
By _______________________________________, the party, all the food had been eaten.

10 He put everything back in its place before he left.

UNTIL
He did not _______________________________________ everything back in its place.

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 Use of English 2 – Cloze I
Exercise 1 For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, D) best fits each gap.

On a sunny Sunday morning in October 2012, sitting in a small capsule suspended from a giant helium
balloon, Austrian Felix Baumgartner (1) __________ to a height of 24 miles (39 kilometres) above the
deserts of New Mexico. Wearing a specially designed survival suit to (2) __________ his blood from
boiling, he jumped out of the capsule and into the history books.
Baumgartner became the world's first supersonic skydiver by (3) __________ an estimated speed of
833 mph (1,340 kph) and breaking the sound barrier at Mach 1.24. He broke two (4) __________
records - the highest freefall jump and the highest balloon flight by a human - but (5) __________ to
make the longest freefall jump, which he had also been (6) __________ to achieve.
A problem with his helmet nearly (7) __________ Baumgartner to abandon his attempt at the last
minute. He was (8) __________ to see clearly because the heater on his visor was not working
properly, causing it to fog up. (9) __________, he went ahead and landed safely back on the ground
just nine minutes after jumping.

1 A lifted B grew C rose D increased

2 A avoid B prevent C reject D deny

3 A getting B arriving C catching D reaching

4 A added B further C best D maximum

5 A failed B missed C refused D disabled

6 A imagining B considering C hoping D risking

7 A made B let C forced D imposed

8 A incapable B disallowed C impractical D unable

9 A Despite B Although C Whereas D However

Exercise 2 For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

Modern technology, in all (1) _________ various forms, has changed the way we live our
lives, but unfortunately, this has not always been (2) _________ the better. A number of
things we used to value highly (3) _________ gradually disappearing or have disappeared
altogether. Take punctuality, for example: before mobile phones, people had to keep
their appointments and get to meetings (4) _________ time. Now, it seems, it is perfectly
acceptable to send a text five minutes before you are due to meet, telling your friend or
colleague (5) _________ to expect you for another half an hour or so. The Internet, too, has had a
negative effect on our manners. Rudeness seems to be the language of debate on any site which invites
users (6) _________ give their opinions. Anonymity makes (7) _______ easier for people to insult
anyone (8) _________ has views which are different from their own. They lose all sense of politeness
and restraint, safe in the knowledge that they will never (9) _________ identified.

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 Use of English 3 – Word Formation I
Exercise 1 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

The microwave oven

One of the most (1) _____________ (use) and convenient of all our domestic appliances is the
microwave oven. Its (2) _____________ (able) to heat and cook food fast has made it an indispensable
item for busy people with little time to cook, and the well-equipped kitchen would be (3) ___________
(complete) without one. The person to thank for this modern cooking miracle is (4) _____________
(invent) Percy LeBaron Spencer, who produced the 'Radarange' oven for industrial use in 1947. Eight
years (5) _____________ (late) in 1955, the first domestic microwave made its (6) _____________
(appear). This rather bulky contraption needed both an (7) _____________ (electric) and a plumber to
install it and was the same size as a fridge. At over $1,000, it was not an immediate success. It wasn't
until 1967, when the countertop model became widely available, that sales started to show an
(8) _____________ (improve) as the microwave grew in (9) _________________ (popular). It went
on, of course, to become a common feature in western homes.

Exercise 2 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

A driving instructor
Susan Bird has been a driving (1) _______________ (instruct) in London for twenty years. 'You need
a great deal of (2) ________________ (patient) this job,' she explains, 'and the (3) _____________
(able) to repeat things several times without getting (4) _____________ (annoy) Susan says she
generally finds that women are better students then men. 'Although they are often accused of being bad
drivers, women tend to drive more carefully than men and don't mind being told what to do. Men, on
the other hand, have more (5) ___________ (confident) but aren't very good listeners.' She talks about
the reactions of other road users to learner drivers. 'On the whole, other drivers understand what it's
like to be a learner and are very considerate. (6) _________________ (fortunate) however, some can
be very intolerant; there are times when I have been shouted at and even (7) ________________
(threat) by drivers who haven't been able to overtake.'
But her face suddenly (8) ______________ (bright) when she is asked whether she enjoys her work.
'Yes, of course!' she exclaims. 'It's an extremely (9) ______________ (satisfy) job, particularly when
your students pass!'

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 Use of English 4 – Transformations II
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

1 It's impossible for me not to laugh when he starts singing.

HELP
I can't __________________________ when he starts singing.

2 I really don't want to go out this evening.

FEEL
I really don't __________________________ out this evening.

3 Amy played much better than her opponent, so it was unfair that she lost the match.
DESERVE
Amy __________________________ the match, because she played much better than her opponent.

4 Rock stars often wear dark glasses so that people don't recognize them.
PREVENT
Rock stars often wear dark glasses __________________________ them.

5 It's obvious he shot himself in the foot by accident.

MEAN
He obviously __________________________ himself in the foot.

6 I hate it when I'm ill.

STAND
I __________________________ ill

7 Pedro didn't use to be so thin.

THAN
Pedro is __________________________ be

8 This exercise is much easier than the last one.

NEARLY
This exercise is __________________________ the last one.

9 My house is as big as yours.

SAME
My house __________________________ yours.

10 Jamie's mobile is very similar to mine.

LOT
There is not __________________________ Jamie's mobile phone and mine.

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 Use of English 5 – Cloze II
Exercise 1 For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, D) best fits each gap.

The first Academy Awards ceremony was (1) __________ on 16 May 1929 over dinner in
Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel. It was (2) __________ by 270 people, each paying $5 to bring a guest,
and hosted by silent-movie actor Douglas Fairbanks, who (3) __________ out the awards in a few
minutes. The 12 winners had been (4) __________ three months beforehand and the very first 'Oscars'
- a 34cm-tall gold-plated statuette designed by MGM's art director, Cedric Gibbons - had already been
handed to German actor Emil Janrtings, who had sailed to Europe a few weeks before. Actually,
Jannings was the (5) __________ in the Best Actor category, the real winner being Rin Tin 'En, a
celebrity dog, but the new awards ceremony wanted to be (6) __________ seriously.
(7) _______ to legend, a librarian in the offices of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
which awards the prizes, saw a statuette and said: 'Gee! He looks just (8) _______
my Uncle Oscan' The name stuck, and so did the 'Little Man', who remains the single
most prized object in the (9) __________ multi-billion-dollar movie business.

1 A placed B dated C called D held

2 A participated B assisted C attended D presented
3 A put B turned C gave D let
4 A revealed B advertised C said D averted
5 A bystander B onlooker C passer-by D runner-up
6 A looked B had C made D taken
7 A Due B Owing C According D Thanks
8 Also B like C how D as
9 A entire B full C wide D all

Exercise 2 For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

A friend once boasted to me that she (1) _________ seen the film The Sound of Music no
fewer (2) _______ 17 times. Personally, I cannot imagine (3) _______ greater waste of one's time
(once was enough for me), but I have to confess (4) _________ are films I, too, have watched on
multiple occasions (5) _________ ever growing tired of them. Indeed, some films have benefited from
a second viewing, in exactly the (6) _________ way that one's enjoyment of a novel can improve on
the second, third or fourth reading. It often feels like a different experience.
And a recent study (7) _________ shown that it actually is different; that rereading books,
watching films again, or revisiting places where you have been happy, results (8) _______ a 'new or
renewed appreciation' of the experience. The study says that doing something
again enables people not only to relive the past experience, (9) _________ also to discover
new details. 'Therefore, the experience is different, even though it is repeated,' the
research concludes. 'By doing it again, people get more out of it.'

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 Use of English 6 – Word Formation II
Exercise 1 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

Village life

In 2004, tired of the noise and (1) _____________ (pollute) of the city, best-selling author Will Smith
and his family moved out to Chersey, a (2) _____________ (picture) village set in magnificent
countryside, with 53 (3) _____________ (inhabit) and one shop. Three years later they sold their
(4) _____________ (beauty) 16th-century cottage and moved back to London, where they now live in
a smart new neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city. So what happened? 'Chersey seemed an idyllic
place to live,' explains Will, 'a quiet, peaceful old village in extremely (5) _____________ (please)
surroundings. However, we soon became aware of a number of (6) _____________ (advantage) of
village life. With so little to do in Chersey, and because the buses were so (7) _____________
(frequent) our teenage children became (8) _____________ (depend) on us to take them everywhere in
the car. As for our own social life, the neighbours were rather cold and (9) _____________ (friend) so
we felt rather isolated and lonely. It was not the rural idyll we had expected.'

Exercise 2 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

Ageing adventurers

It was the end of an epic journey. In a (1) _____________ (picture) harbour on the Caribbean island of
St Maarten, Anthony Smith stood on his raft, graciously accepting (2) _____________ (congratulate)
from a crowd of well-wishers on the quayside. The crowd seemed (3) _____________ (fascinate) by
two things in particular firstly, Mr Smith and his three-man British crew had sailed the raft Antiki
2,600 miles across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands, with a single sail and no engine. Secondly, Mr
Smith was 85 and the rest of the crew in their fifties and sixties. The men, all with beards and many
pounds (4) ____________________ (light) than when they set out 66 days before, looked tired but
(5) _______________ (surprise) well after their (6) _________________ (ordinary) journey. 'People
said I was mad to do it at my age,' commented Mr Smith.
'But age is (7) _______________ (relevant).' The four men knew that spending nearly ten weeks on a
small craft with few comforts could have been claustrophobic. But they insist they had no serious
(8) _______________ (agree). Their age helped, they believe, making them more (9) _____________
(tolerate) of their differences and faults.

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 Use of English 7 – Transformations III
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

1 There are more boys than girls in our class.

AS
There are as __________________________ boys in our class.

2 I've never known anyone as clever as Hilary.

THE
Hilary is __________________________ ever known.

3 I enjoyed myself so much I didn't want to come home.

GOOD
I had _________________________ time I didn't want to come home.

4 It was such an interesting book that I stayed up all night to finish it.
SO
I was _________________________ that I stayed up all night to finish it.

5 How long is the car journey from London to Manchester?

TAKE
How long _________________________ from London to Manchester?

6 Eleanor is clearly proud of her achievements.

PRIDE
Eleanor clearly _________________________ her achievements.

7 We will phone you the moment we get to the hotel.

ARRIVE
We will phone you as _________________________ the hotel.

8 I finished my library book and returned it when the lesson finished.

END
I finished my library book and took _________________________ of the lesson.

9 The sign says that cigarettes must be extinguished.

HAVE
According to the sign, _________________________ out your cigarette.

10 What's their expected time of arrival?

SUPPOSED
What time _________________________ arrive?

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 Use of English 8 – Cloze III
Exercise 1 For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, D) best fits each gap.

Canadian mother Jessica Stilwell became an internet hit after (1) _______ on strike for six days,
refusing to tidy up after her three daughters, and (2) ________ a blog called Striking Mom which
documented the chaos that followed. Sitting down one day (3) ________ the mess left by her three
daughters, she decided enough was enough. The normally houseproud Mrs Stilwell (4) ________ that
she would be doing no more tidying, cleaning or picking up after the children. Mrs Stilwell did not tell
her daughters about her 'experiment', in order to see how long it would (5) ________ for them to begin
cleaning up after themselves. On day four, one daughter told Mrs Stilwell a (6) ________ of seventeen
times that the kitchen was disgusting, but still did nothing about it. Mrs Stilwell said: 'Each one
(7) ________ the others for the mess and they began yelling at one (8) ________.' By day six the girls
eventually gave in, with one of them breaking (9) ______ and begging for help to clean up.

1 A gaining B getting C going D giving

2 A setting up B handing over C taking in D getting by
3 A throughout B between C aside D among
4 A declared B notified C talked D spoke
5 A last B take C spend D endure
6 A figure B sum C total D whole
7 A accused B charged C blamed D faulted
8 A selves B another C together D own
9 A in B out C up D down

Exercise 2 For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

I used to work (1) _______ an accountant in a large furniture factory in London. I had a responsible
job and was earning (2) _______ good living until the company started having problems. Eventually, I
was (3) _______ redundant. My husband and I had always wanted to go (4) _______ business
together, and we both felt that now was a good time to take a risk and do (5) _______ different.
Jonathan, my husband, gave (6) _______ his well-paid but stressful job in the City and we bought a
pub in a village near York. It took (7) _______ both quite a long time to get used to living in the
countryside. Everything happens at a much slower pace here, but the people are friendlier than in
London and we couldn't imagine going back (8) _______ to live. We still work as hard (9) _______
we did before, but it's so much more satisfying working for yourself.

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 Use of English 9 – Word Formation III
Exercise 1 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

CCTV cameras

Closed-circuit television cameras are a fact of life in modern Britain. They can be seen in office
(1) ____________ (build) shopping centres, banks, (2) ____________ (resident) areas and even parks,
and it is estimated that the average Briton is filmed over 300 times a day. It is believed that CCTV
leads to a (3) ____________ (reduce) in certain types of crime, such as car theft (4) ____________
(rob) and street violence. Its supporters defend it as an (5) ____________ (effect) way of improving
security in town centres, and of helping to bring (6) _________________ (crime) to justice. Civil
liberties groups, who object to the (7) _______________ (present) of the cameras, feel that they
constitute a serious (8) ____________ (invade) of privacy and say that there is little (9) ___________
(evident) that they reduce offending.

Exercise 2 Read the text below. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits

A knee operation

My brother took part in a skiing (1) ______________ (compete) recently. He didn't win any medals
but he did receive a bad knee (2) ______________ (injure). He fell quite badly and for weeks
afterwards he had (3) _________________ (difficult) walking properly. He eventually had to go into
hospital for an operation, from which h he's currently recovering at home. He's been told to keep his
(4) ______________ (weigh) off the leg, so he spends his day on the sofa, reading and watching films.
This temporary (5) ______________ (lose) of mobility will be good for him; he's always rushing
around, getting stressed out.
(6) ______________ (appear) in most cases, as long as there are no (7) ______________ (complicate)
people can resume their normal activity within a few weeks of the operation. He says he's already
noticed an (8) ______________ (improve) and he's convinced he’ll be back at work by the end of the
month. To tell the (9) ______________ (true) I think he should wait a little longer - he really could do
with the break.

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 Use of English 10 – Transformations IV
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

1 I don't think you should drink any more coffee.

BETTER
You _________________________ any more coffee.

2 You shouldn't be so impatient.

OUGHT
You _________________________ patience.

3 I'm not allowed to stay out later than 10 o'clock.

LET
My parents _________________________ out later than 10 o'clock.

4 The science teacher made me clean all the test tubes.

MADE
_________________________ all the test tubes by the science teacher.

5 Someone broke into our house last night.

HAD
We _________________________ last night.

6 I want them to dye my hair red at the hairdresser's.

HAVE
I want ___________________________ red at the hairdresser's.

7 I have a great deal of respect for Susie, so I asked her.

WHOM
I asked Susie ___________________________ a great deal of respect.

8 Naomi is the girl who lent me a ruler during the exam.

WHOSE
Naomi is the girl ___________________________ during the exam.

9 My grandfather is the person I most admire.

LOOK
The person I most___________________________ my grandfather.

10 His parents said he was a disappointment to them and they expected his behaviour to improve.
DOWN
His parents said he had ___________________________ and they expected his behaviour to improve.

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 Use of English 11 – Open Cloze I
The strangeness of the quantum realm opens up exciting new technological possibilities

A BATHING cap that can watch individual neurons, allowing others to monitor the wearer’s mind. A sensor
that can spot hidden nuclear submarines. A computer that can discover new drugs, revolutionise securities
trading and design new materials. A global network of communication links 1) _________ security is
underwritten by unbreakable physical laws. Such is the promise of quantum technology.

All this potential arises from improvements in scientists’ ability to trap, poke and prod single atoms and wispy
particles of light called photons. Today’s computer chips get cheaper and faster as their features get smaller, but
quantum mechanics says that at tiny enough scales, particles sail 2) _________ solids, short-circuiting the
chip’s innards. Quantum technologies come at the problem from the other direction. 3) _____ than scale devices
down, quantum technologies employ the unusual behaviours of single atoms and particles and scale them up.
Like computerisation before it, this unlocks a world of possibilities, with applications in nearly every existing
industry—and the potential to spark entirely new ones.

Quantum mechanics—a theory of the behaviour at the atomic level 4) _________ together in the early 20th
century—has a well-earned reputation for weirdness. That is because the world as humanity sees it is not, in
fact, how the world works. Quantum mechanics replaced wholesale the centuries-old notion of a clockwork,
deterministic universe with a reality that deals in probabilities rather than certainties—one where the very act of
measurement affects what is measured. 5) _________ with that upheaval came a few truly mind-bending
implications, such as the fact that particles are fundamentally neither here nor there but, until pinned down, both
here and there at the same time: they are in a “superposition” of here-there-ness. The theory also suggested that
particles can be spookily linked: do something to one and the change is felt instantaneously by the other, 6)
_________ across vast reaches of space. This “entanglement” confounded even the theory’s originators.

It is exactly these effects that show 7) _________ promise now: the techniques that were refined in a bid to
learn more about the quantum world are now being harnessed to put it to good use. Gizmos that exploit
superposition and entanglement can vastly outperform existing ones—and accomplish things once thought to be
impossible. Improving atomic clocks by incorporating entanglement, for example, makes them more accurate
than those used today in satellite positioning. That could improve navigational precision by orders of magnitude,
which 8) _________ make self-driving cars safer and more reliable. And because the strength of the local
gravitational field affects the flow of time (according to general relativity, another immensely successful but
counter-intuitive theory), such clocks would also be able to measure tiny variations in gravity. That could be
used to spot underground pipes 9) _________ having to dig up the road, or track submarines far below the
waves.

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Other aspects of quantum theory permit messaging without worries about eavesdroppers. Signals encoded using
either superposed or entangled particles cannot be intercepted, duplicated and passed on. That has obvious
appeal to companies and governments the world 10) ___________. China has already launched a satellite that
can receive and reroute such signals; a global, unhackable network could eventually follow.

The advantageous interplay 11) _________ odd quantum effects reaches its zenith in quantum computers.
Instead of the 0s and 1s of standard computing, a quantum computer’s bits are in superpositions of both, and
each “qubit” is entangled with every other. Using algorithms that recast problems in quantum-amenable forms,
such computers will be able to chomp their way through calculations that would 12) _________ today’s best
supercomputers millennia. Even as high-security quantum networks are being developed, a countervailing worry
is that quantum computers will eventually render obsolete today’s cryptographic techniques, which are based on
hard mathematical problems.

Long before that happens, 13) _________ , smaller quantum computers will make other contributions in
industries from energy and logistics to drug design and finance. Even simple quantum computers should be able
to tackle classes of problems that choke conventional machines, such as optimising trading strategies or
plucking promising drug candidates from scientific literature. Google said last week that such machines are only
five years from commercial exploitability. This week IBM, which 14) __________ runs a publicly
accessible, rudimentary quantum computer, announced expansion plans. Big tech firms and startups alike are
developing software to exploit these devices’ curious abilities. A new ecosystem of middlemen is emerging to
15) _________ new hardware to industries that might benefit.

This landscape has much in common with the state of the internet in the early 1990s: a largely laboratory-based
affair that had occupied scientists for decades, but in which industry was starting to see broader potential. Blue-
chip firms are buying 16) _________ it, or developing their 17) _________ research efforts. Startups are
multiplying. Governments are investing “strategically”, having paid for the underlying research for many
years—a reminder that there are some goods, such as blue-sky scientific work, that markets cannot be 18)
_________ upon to provide.

Fortunately for quantum technologists, the remaining challenges are mostly engineering ones, rather than
scientific. And today’s quantum-enhanced gizmos are just the beginning. What is most exciting about quantum
technology is its as 19) _________ untapped potential. Experts at the frontier of any transformative technology
have a spotty record of foreseeing many of the uses it will find; Thomas Edison thought his phonograph’s 20)
__________ would lie in elocution lessons. For much of the 20th century “quantum” has, in the popular
consciousness, simply signified “weird”. In the 21st, it will come to mean “better”.

105
 Use of English 12 – Open Cloze II
The world’s most valuable startup is leading the race to transform the future of transport

“LET’S Uber.” 1) __________ companies offer something so popular that their name becomes a verb. But
that is one of the many achievements of Uber, a company founded in 2009 which is now the world’s most
valuable startup, worth around $70 billion. Its app can summon a car in moments in more than 425 cities
around the world, to the fury of taxi drivers 2) __________. But Uber’s ambitions, and the expectations
underpinning its valuation, extend much further: using self-driving vehicles, it wants to make ride-hailing
so cheap and convenient that people forgo car ownership altogether. 3) __________ satisfied with shaking
up the $100-billion-a-year taxi business, it has its eye on the far bigger market for personal transport, worth
as much as $10 trillion a year globally.

Uber is not alone in this ambition. Companies big and small have recognized the transformative potential
of electric, self-driving cars, summoned on demand. Technology firms including Apple, Google and Tesla
are investing heavily in autonomous vehicles; from Ford to Volvo, incumbent carmakers are racing to 4)
__________ up. An epic struggle looms. It will transform daily life as profoundly as cars did in the 20th
century: reinventing transport and reshaping cities, while also dramatically reducing road deaths and
pollution.

In the short term Uber is in 5) __________ position to lead the revolution because of its dominance of
chauffeured ride-hailing, a part of the transport market that will see some of the fastest growth. Today ride-
hailing accounts for less than 4% of all kilometres driven globally, but that will rise to more than 25% by
2030. The ability to summon a car using a smartphone 6) __________ not just make it easy for individuals
to book a cheaper taxi. Ride-sharing services like UberPool, which put travellers heading in the same
direction into one vehicle, blur the boundaries between private and public transport. Helsinki and other
cities have been experimenting with on-demand bus services and apps that enable customers to plan and
book journeys combining trains and buses with walking and private ride-sharing services. 7) __________ it
right, and public-transport networks will be extended to cover the “last mile” that takes people right to their
doorsteps. This will extend the market for ride-hailing well beyond the wealthy urbanites who are its main
users today.

But in the longer term autonomous vehicles will drive the reinvention of transport. The first examples have
8) __________ hit the road. Google is testing autonomous cars on streets near its headquarters in Mountain
View. A startup called nuTonomy recently launched a self-driving taxi service in Singapore. Tesla’s
electric cars are packed full of driver-assistance technology. And within the next few weeks Uber 9)
__________ will offer riders in Pittsburgh the chance to hail an autonomous car (though a human will be
on hand to take back the wheel if needed).

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Self-driving cars will reinforce trends unleashed by ride-hailing, making it cheaper and more accessible.
The disabled, the old and the young will find it easier to go where they want. Many more people will opt
10) _____ of car ownership altogether. A study that modelled the use of self-driving cars in Lisbon found
that shared autonomous vehicles could reduce the number of cars needed by 80-90%. As car ownership
declines, the enormous amount of space devoted to parking—as much as a quarter of the area of some
American cities—will be 11) _______ for parks and housing instead.

It is not clear which companies will dominate this world. Uber will not win in its current form: a ride-
hailing business which 12) __________ on human drivers cannot compete on roads full of self-driving
cars. But this existential threat is spurring the firm’s innovation. With its strong brand and large customer
base, Uber aims to establish itself as the leading provider of transport services in a self-driving world. It is
also branching 13) _____ into new areas, such as food delivery and long-distance cargo haulage using
autonomous trucks. There is logic in this ambition. Carmakers 14) ____ Uber’s experience as a service
provider, or its deep knowledge of demand patterns and customer behaviour.

But firms that pioneer new technological trends do not always manage to stay on top. Think of Nokia and
BlackBerry in smartphones, Kodak in digital cameras or MySpace in social networking. Much will depend
on which firm best handles the regulators. Technology companies have a history of trying new things first
and asking for permission later. Uber’s success in ride-hailing 15) ______ much to this recipe, yet when it
comes to autonomous vehicles, the combination of vague rules and imperfect technology can have deadly
consequences. 16) ______ for the winners, it is not clear how great the rewards will be. As more firms pile
into ride-sharing, and autonomous vehicles become part of the mix, the business may prove to be less
lucrative than expected. By matching riders with drivers, Uber can offer transport services 17) ___ owning
a single vehicle, and keep the lion’s share of the profits. But if its service becomes an integral part of urban
transport infrastructure, as it hopes, Uber could end up being regulated, more highly taxed, broken up or all
of the above. In a self-driving world, Uber might also have to own and operate its own fleet, undermining
its “asset-light” model. The would-be high-margin digital disrupter would then 18) __________ more like a
low-margin airline.

For now Uber is the firm to 19) __________ in the race to transform the future of personal transport.
Unlike Apple or Google, it is singularly focused on transport; unlike incumbent carmakers, it does not have
a legacy car-manufacturing business to protect. Its recent rapprochement with Didi, its main rival in China,
has removed a major distraction, allowing it to devote its $9 billion war chest to developing new
technology. Its vision of the future is plausible and compelling. It could yet prove a Moses company, never
reaching its promised land—it might end up like Hoover, lending its name to a new product category
without actually dominating it. But 20) ____ Uber itself wins or loses, we are all on the road to Uberworld.

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 Use of English 13 – Open Cloze III
Poor land use in the world’s greatest cities carries a huge cost

BUY land, advised Mark Twain; they’re not making it any more. In fact, land is not really scarce: the entire
population of America could 1) _________ into Texas with more than an acre for each household to enjoy. 2)
_________ drives prices skyward is a collision between rampant demand and limited supply in the great
metropolises like London, Mumbai and New York. In the past ten years real prices in Hong Kong have risen by
150%. Residential property in Mayfair, in central London, can go for as much as £55,000 ($82,000) per square
metre. (€3,500 on avg in Bcn). A square mile of Manhattan residential property costs $16.5 billion.

3) _________ in these great cities the scarcity is artificial. Regulatory limits on the height and density of
buildings constrain supply and inflate prices. A recent analysis by academics at the LSE estimates that land-use
regulations in the West End of London inflate the price of office space by about 800%; in Milan and Paris the
rules push up prices by around 300%. Most of the enormous value captured by landowners exists because it is
well-nigh impossible to build new offices to compete those profits 4) _________.

The costs of this misfiring property market are huge, mainly because of their effects on individuals. High
housing prices force workers towards cheaper 5) _________ less productive places. According to one study,
employment in the Bay Area around San Francisco would be about five times larger than it is but for tight limits
on construction. Tot 6) _________ these costs in lost earnings and unrealised human potential, and the figures
become dizzying. Lifting all the barriers to urban growth in America could raise the country’s GDP by between
6.5% and 13.5%, or by about $1 trillion-2 trillion. It is difficult to think of many other policies that would yield
anything like that.

Two long-run trends have led to this fractured market. One is the revival of the city as the central cog in the
global economic machine. In the 20th century, tumbling transport costs weakened the gravitational pull of the
city; in the 21st, the digital revolution has restored it. Knowledge-intensive industries such as technology and
finance thrive on the clustering of workers 7) _________ share ideas and expertise. The economies and
populations of metropolises like London, New York and San Francisco have rebounded as a result.

What those cities have not regained is their historical ability to stretch in 8) _________ to accommodate all
those who want to come. There is a good reason for that: unconstrained urban growth in the late 19th century
fostered crime and disease. Hence the second trend, the proliferation of green belts and rules on zoning. Over
the course of the past century land-use rules have piled up so plentifully that getting planning permission is
harder than 9) _________ a cab on a wet afternoon. London has strict rules preventing new structures blocking
certain views of St Paul’s Cathedral. Google’s plans to build housing on its Mountain View campus in Silicon
Valley are being resisted on the 10) _________ that residents might keep pets, which could harm the local owl
population. Nimbyish residents of low-density districts can exploit planning rules on everything from light
levels to parking spaces to block plans for construction.

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A good thing, too, say many. The roads and rails criss-crossing big cities 11) _________ creak under the
pressure of growing populations. Dampening property prices hurts one of the few routes to wealth-accumulation
still available to the middle classes. A cautious approach to development is the surest way to preserve public
spaces and a city’s heritage: give economists their way, and they would quickly pave over Central Park.

12) _________ well these arguments go down in local planning meetings, they wilt on closer scrutiny. Home
ownership is not especially egalitarian. Many households are priced out of more vibrant places. It is no
coincidence that the home-ownership 13) _________ in the metropolitan area of downtrodden Detroit, at 71%,
is well above the 55% in booming San Francisco. You do not need to build a forest of skyscrapers for a lot more
people to make their home in big cities. San Francisco could squeeze in twice as many and remain half as dense
as Manhattan.

Zoning codes were conceived as a 14) _________ to balance the social good of a growing, productive city and
the private costs that growth sometimes imposes. But land-use rules have evolved into something more
pernicious: a mechanism through which landowners are handed both unwarranted windfalls and the means to
prevent others from exercising control 15) _________ their property. Even small steps to restore a healthier
balance between private and public good would yield handsome returns. Policymakers should focus on two
things.

First, they should ensure that city-planning decisions are made from the top 16) ___________ . When decisions
are taken at local level, land-use rules tend to be stricter. Individual districts receive fewer of the benefits of a
larger metropolitan population (jobs and taxes) than their costs (blocked views and congested streets). Moving
housing-supply decisions to city level should mean that due weight is put on the benefits of growth. Any
restrictions on building won by one district should be offset by increases 17) _________ , so the city as a whole
keeps to its development budget.

Second, governments should impose higher taxes on the value of land. In most rich countries, land-value taxes
account for a small share of total revenues. Land taxes are efficient. They are difficult to dodge; you cannot stuff
land 18) _________ a bank-vault in Luxembourg. 19) ___________ a high tax on property can discourage
investment, a high tax on land creates an incentive to develop unused sites. Land-value taxes can also help cater
for newcomers. New infrastructure raises the value of nearby land, automatically feeding through into
revenues—which helps to pay for the improvements.

Neither better zoning nor land taxes are easy to impose. There are logistical hurdles, 20) _________ as assessing
the value of land with the property stripped out. The politics is harder still. But politically tricky problems are
ten-a-penny. Few offer the people who solve them a trillion-dollar reward.

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 Bits 1 - Register Transfer I
In this task you have to use information from one text to complete another text, which has been written
for a different audience and purpose, in a different register.
Read the advertisement for a health farm and use the information to complete the gaps in the informal
letter. Write one or two words in each gap, using the guidance notes to help you.
Note: The words you need do not occur in the advertisement.

ADVERTISEMENT
Feeling stressed? Worn out? Need to wind down?
Relax in luxury at beautiful Blandings Manor
Superb accommodation, delicious cuisine and a range of activities which is quite simply unrivalled.
Blandings is for everyone, male or female, young or old, active or inactive. There is no pressure (8) as
to how you spend your time. Our highly-trained staff will be happy to advise (5) but we want you to
get what YOU want from your stay.
Special All-inclusive Weekend Offer £80* (normal rate £180) (10)
Accommodation - all rooms look on to (1) the magnificent gardens
• All (2) meals from dinner on arrival to lunch on the day of departure.
• Complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water served throughout the day.
• A choice (3) of daily treatments: sauna, spa bath, or steam
• Personal programme to meet (4) your individual needs
• Unlimited (6/7) use of all sports and leisure facilities
• A choice of over 20 (9) daily activities
*Selected dates only. Call for information

INFORMAL LETTER
Dear Gill,
Do you remember me telling you about a health farm I'd seen advertised? Well, I've looked at the ad
again and I must say it looks fantastic. Now I'm hoping to persuade you to join me there for a
weekend!
The rooms you (0) __stay in__ sound really luxurious and apparently they all have a (1)
__________[noun + preposition] the gardens. The meals are all (2) __________[verb + preposition]
the price and you can also get a refreshment whenever you want.
The brochure says that what you do is entirely (3) __________ [preposition] to you. You can have a
whole programme specially designed to (4) __________[verb] you, or you can just ask staff to make a
few (5) __________ [noun] about activities to do. You can use (6) __________[pronoun] of the
sports and leisure facilities for as (7) __________ [adjective from “length”] as you like, and the
brochure also mentions loads of other activities every day. But don't worry, nobody will (8)
__________ [verb] you do anything. You could just spend the whole time relaxing in the sauna if you
wanted (or there are a (9) __________ [noun] of other treatments you could choose instead, if you
prefer)!
There's a terrific offer on at the moment with weekends costing (10) __________ [adjective +
conjugation] half the normal price although that only applies to certain dates. Anyway, let me know
what you think.
Best wishes
Sue
Notes:
Question 9 How many more treatments? What is an informal expression for that number?
Question 10 You must do some elementary mathematics after comparing the prices

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 Bits 2 - Register Transfer II
You work for a travel company. A colleague of yours has recently written an informal report on some new
accommodation which your company intends to include in its new brochure. You have to complete the
brochure.
a Read through the informal report and the brochure descriptions. What is the purpose of each piece of writing?
How are they different in style?
b Use the information to complete the brochure descriptions by writing the missing words in the spaces
provided. Use no more than two words in the first description (Palm Hotel) and one word in the second
(Seagull Studies). The words which you need do not occur in the informal report.

CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
The Palm Hotel
Quite a nice hotel, if a bit on the small side, in the new town. Handy for the shops and it only takes 7
minutes to walk to the beach (I timed it!). The rooms have twin beds and most have a balcony. You get
a glimpse of the harbour from the terrace (if you've got good eye-sight!) There's no hotel restaurant as
such, but you only have to walk a short way to find plenty of local eateries. The one drawback I think
it's worth mentioning is that with all the restaurants and bars, the centre of town does get pretty noisy
at night (and into the early hours).

Seagull Studios
Three self-catering studios for the budget end of the market. They're down the road a bit from the
Palm, so it's a bit of a trek into town if you miss the bus (every 60 mins). Every studio has twin beds
(with toilet and shower) and a tiny balcony (looking on to the road). The so-called kitchenette has a
mini cooker and fridge, and not much else - so make sure you warn people that they shouldn't expect to
do any gourmet cooking!
Signed:T Rowland

BROCHURE
Palm Hotel
A pleasant, small hotel, which (0) _is situated__ in the newer part of town, a
convenient location for the shops and the beach. There are 15 rooms, all (1) _________
are twin-bedded, and most have balconies with a (2) _________ the picturesque
harbour. Although the hotel has no restaurant, there is a wide (3) _________ places to
eat, all a few minutes' walk away. (4) _________ its central position, we do (5)
_________ this accommodation for those looking for peace and tranquillity.

Seagull Studios
A little (6) _________ down the road from the Palm Hotel, three twin-bedded self-
catering studios, (7) _________ with its own en-suite toilet and shower, and also a
private balcony. The kitchenettes are basically (8) _________ with a small cooker and
fridge but are not (9) _________ for preparing full-scale meals. There is an
(10) _________ bus service into town.

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 Bits 3 - Register Transfer III
Read the following invitation to a party given by a large company. Use the information in it to
complete the numbered gaps in the letter written by someone who attended the party. Write the new
words in the correct boxes on your answer sheet. The words you need do not occur in the invitation.
Use no more than two words for each gap. The exercise begins with an example (0).

INVITATION
Celebration Party
Your presence is requested at a special party on Friday 20 June. Our success in winning more
contracts than ever this year was only possible with your work. This is our way of showing you our
appreciation. Each aspect of the evening has been carefully organised to ensure you have fun.
• A leading catering company is responsible for the food. All dishes on the menu will stimulate your
taste buds!
• The night will be a musical extravaganza, with music to suit all tastes. We want to make this a night
to remember, so no expense has been spared. Dance until dawn to the sounds of a big band under the
stars.
• There will be a surprise appearance of a special mystery celebrity! On the stroke of 12, there will be
spectacular fireworks. It will be an evening of surprises, and a party unlike ordinary ones.
• No one will leave without a gift.

LETTER
Dear Barbara
I've got to tell you about the party I went to last Friday! It was out of this world.
Because our company had never won (0) _so many____ contracts before, they laid on
a really special night to (1) ____________ for our work. They had planned it
brilliantly, down to the last detail, to make sure we all (2) ____________ to the full.

The food was provided by one of (3) ____________ catering companies in the country,
so it was absolutely delicious. The music was also brilliant, with something
(4) ______________. As the invitation said, it really was an evening I will (5)
____________. It must have (6) ____________ fortune!

You know what - people only stopped dancing when the (7) ____________ up! And
guess who they invited as a surprise - that actress from the TV programme you like!
They even arranged for stunning fireworks (8) ____________. It really was one
surprise after another all night - quite (9) ____________ other parties. And there were
(10) ____________ for us all! I wish you'd been there!

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 Bits 4 – Indirect Speech
A large number of different verbs may be used in indirect speech to specify the way things are
said and the content of what is said.
- 'How nice to be home again!' she said.
- She exclaimed that it was nice to be home again.

Exercise 1 Identify which verb below you would choose to introduce each of the 20 sentences
in indirect speech. You should find a different verb appropriate in each case
accuse admit advise apologise agree beg complain
invite offer order prefer promise refuse regret
remind suggest warn wonder deny explain

1 'I'm going to tell you how this machine works.'

2 'Yes, I took the money.'

3 'I think your ideas are absolutely correct.'

4 'Please, please don't leave me alone.

5 'Shoot as soon as the enemy comes in sight!'

6 'If you bathe from these rocks, you may be swept out to sea, because the current is treacherous.'

1 'Will I ever become rich?'

8 'I'm not going to sign it, whatever you say.'

9 'You took the money, didn't you?'

10 'No, I didn't. I've never seen it before.

11 'It will be in ready in time for the party, without fail.'

12 'I'd rather not go out tonight.'

13 'Remember that the Joneses are coming to dinner tonight.'

14 . 'Would you like me to pick you up at the station?'

15 'Would you like to spend the day with us at our beach house?'

16 'I'm sorry I spoke to you so rudely.'

17 'I wish I hadn't lost my temper.'

18 'I wish you wouldn't shout so much."

19 'You'd better not tell Henry about it.'

20 'Why don't we all go out and enjoy ourselves?'

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Exercise 2 You must decide what the speaker actually said. The same twenty verbs are used
in reported speech. It is very important to note the constructions of the verbs in each
case. For that reason alternatives are given where they are appropriate
1 Andrew refused to pay the rent.

2 James denied that he had been involved in the crime (or denied having been...).

3 The man promised that he would repair the computer by the following Saturday (or promised to repair . . .)

4 The detective accused him of robbing the bank (or accused him of having robbed ...)

5 He wondered what would happen to him in the end (or wondered how, why, etc.).

6 He preferred not to make up his mind immediately.

7 She reminded him to post the letters on his way to work (or reminded him that he had to post . . .).

8 He explained the word to me (or explained how, why, what, etc.).

9 She warned the children not to cross the road without looking to the right and left.

10 He agreed that our suggestion was sensible (or agreed to our suggestion, or agreed with us about our suggestion ).

11 She begged us not to tell her father about it.

12 The officer ordered them not to fire.

13 He admitted that he had made a mistake (or admitted having made . . .).

14 She invited us to have dinner at her house (or invited us to dinner . . .).

15 She offered to look after the children while I was out.

16 He apologised for arriving late (or apologised for his late arrival).

17 She complained that I spent too much money on silly things.

18 He regretted that he had not had the chance to go to university (or regretted not having had . . .).

19 I suggested that we should go out to dinner.

20 The doctor advised them to give up smoking.

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 Bits 5 – False Friends
Speakers of other, mainly European, languages may encounter certain English words and because they look similar to
words in their own language wrongly assume that their meaning is the same. The confusion might be because of a chance
similarity in spelling; because the original meaning, in one or other language, has changed over the years; or because the
original word was borrowed from one language and, from the start, used differently in the other. Such words are called
'false friends'. The following exercise gives you practice in distinguishing between some of the most common false friends
in English for Spanish and Catalan speakers. When you have done the exercise you should start your own file of false
friends, noting them down whenever you come across a new pair.

In each pair of words below, the first word is the false friend and the second is the word it is often
confused with. Put each word in its correct place in the sentences which follow each pair.

1 actual (real)
present (current, existing now)

(a) Reagan and Clinton are former American Presidents. Who is the one?
(b) I've known many rich men, but he is the only millionaire I've met.
(c) She used to work in advertising, but her job is in journalism.

2 ignore (deliberately take no notice of, pay no attention to)

not know

(a) His speech was interrupted by loud shouts but he wisely decided to ___them and carry on.
(b) How can you _____ your teacher's name? You see her every day!
(c) Well, if you ______ my warnings, I cannot be responsible for what happens to you.

3 camping (activity of holidaying in a tent)

camp-site (place for setting up tents)

(a) I like to go ________ in the summer.

(b) We found a lovely ___________ near the sea to put up our tent.

4 morale (spirits, state of mind)

moral (right, proper, virtuous)

(a) Regular mail and good food are important to maintain the ________ of soldiers during a war.
(b) It was a good move financially, but from the _______ point of view I have my doubts.
(c) As we became aware of the difficulties that lay ahead, our _________ dropped.
(d) He's a very ________ person who is guided by the highest principles.

5 frequent (go to often)

attend (go to a school or course etc., be present at)

(a) Please state the name and address of the college you _________
(b) Criminals are known to ________ the clubs and bars in this street.
(c) Wild animals _______ the river bank at night and traps are set to catch them.
(d) Delegates from twelve countries are expected to _________ the meeting.

115
6 adequate (enough, sufficient)
suitable (right for the purpose)

(a) Make sure you have ________ money for the trip. £50 should be enough.
(b) I'll come at six, or any other _______ time you suggest.
(c) Do you think this dress is ___________ for tonight's party, or is it too formal?
(d) Rice-growing can only be successful if there is ____________ rainfall.

7 argument (i: disagreement ii: supporting reason)

subject (something talked or written about or studied)

(a) My favourite _________ at school was geography.

(b) He and his wife had a heated __________ about which car to buy.
(c) The best __________ against smoking is its effect on health.
(d) The ________ of the essay we had to write was 'World Peace'.

9 eventually (finally, after a long time)

possibly (perhaps or maybe)

(a) The Socialist Party will win, __________ with a majority of over fifty.
(b) After travelling all day, they _______ reached home at midnight.
(c) He's arriving on Tuesday, or __________ Wednesday.
(d) At the moment he has only one shop, but he hopes to have a nation-wide chain ________

10 experience (i: previous knowledge or work ii: event)

experiment (test carried out to see result)

(a) Meeting the President was an _______ I shall never forget.

(b) We’ll try an _________ with these chemicals and see what happens.
(c) This is a very responsible job, so we want someone with a lot of ____________
(d) The ________ of arranging the students' chairs in a semi-circle was very successful.

11 fabricate (invent, make up something false)

manufacture (make, produce in a factory)

(a) To avoid suspicion, he decided to __________ a completely false story.

(b) This is the factory where they ____________ the new sports-car.
(c) Any attempt to _________ evidence will be dealt with most severely by the courts.
(d) Plans are in progress to _______ electrical appliances here, which will create much-needed jobs.

12 chauffeur (uniformed car-driver employed to drive others)

driver (person who drives a car, lorry, bus etc.)

(a) The police stopped every vehicle on the motorway and asked the ______ to show his or her licence.
(b) She had her own Rolls Royce and her own _______ to drive her wherever she wanted to go.
(c) He works as a ________ driving ministers and civil servants from place to place.
(d) Any __________ about to stop, slow down or turn should clearly indicate his or her intentions
to following vehicles.

116
13 assist (help)
attend (be present at)

(a) We hope a large number of people will ________ the conference next week.
(b) The police called for members of the public to _________ in the investigation.
(c) Due to a previous engagement, the Foreign Minister will be unable to _______ the meeting.
(d) Lifeboats were sent out to __________ the ship in difficulties.

14 pass (be successful in test, exam)

take (attempt test, exam)

(a) If I ________ the exam, I’ll celebrate by giving a party.

(b) I hope you're successful in the exam. When do you ________ it?
(c) I _________ my driving test tomorrow. I hope I ________ it.

15 remark (say, make a comment)

notice (happen to see)

(a) He enjoyed his stay with us, but he did _________ that he hadn't slept well.
(b) I thought I saw a strange-looking man outside the house. Did you ________ him?
(c) I was in such a hurry that I didn't __________ what the weather was like.
(d) I have often heard tourists __________ favourably on the number of parks in the city.

16 reunion (gathering of old friends, colleagues after separation)

meeting (gathering of people for social or formal discussion)

(a) We have a __________ at the office every Friday to talk about plans and problems.
(b) I haven't seen my old school friends for 15 years. It's time someone organised a ___________.
(c) They're having a ___________ to discuss plans for a big ___________ of soldiers who fought
in the First Gulf War.

17 sympathetic (showing sympathy or 'understanding, willing to listen to others' problems)

nice (pleasant)

(a) She was a very ___________ little girl. Everyone liked her.
(b) He's usually rather impatient and unfriendly, but I must say he was very ________ when I told
him about my family problems.
(c) It was a ___________ party. I enjoyed it.
(d) The police were very _______ to my complaint about the noise but said they could do nothing about it.

18 corps (special military or diplomatic etc. group of people)

corpse (dead body)

(a) The ___________ was examined by a pathologist to determine the cause of death.
(b) Members of the Diplomatic ___________ have a special legal status when they are abroad.
(c) There is to be a reorganisation of the Royal Army Medical ______________.
(d) When the king died, his ___________ was wrapped in gold robes and laid in a stone coffin.

117
19 voyage (journey by sea)
journey (travelling from one place to another)

(a) The Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic and sank on her very first _______
(b) My ___________ to work every morning takes about 40 minutes.
(c) He went on a long ___________ across Asia.
(d) Before the opening of the Suez Canal, the ___________ from Europe to India round Africa took
several weeks.

20 become (grow, develop into)

obtain (get possession of)

(a) Visitors to Britain from certain countries must ____________ a visa.

(b) His only ambition was to ___________ rich.
(c) As the electric current passes through it, it will ____________ hot.
(d) You can _____________ the necessary information from any post office.

21 on the contrary (introduces contradiction, opposite)

on the other hand (introduces counter-argument)

(a) Good Lord, I'm not rich! _________________, I’m constantly in debt.
(b) She's very intelligent, but _________________, she's apt to be impatient.
(c) Yes, it's a very cosmopolitan city. __________________, it's very expensive.
(d) I don't think he'll pass the exam. ___________________, I think he'll almost certainly fail.

22 critic (reviewer, person who writes newspaper articles on new books, films etc.)
review (article written by critic)

(a) Have you read the Daily Express ____________ of that new Spanish film?
(b) She was the book ___________ of a literary magazine.
(c) One __________ wrote a very bad ____________ of my play. The others liked it.

23 Rob (People and places are robbed)

Steal (Objects are stolen)

(a) Robin Hood is a folk hero who is supposed to have _________ the rich and __________ their
money to give it to the poor.
(b)I’ve been __________! My purse has been __________!

24 Play = take part in a game

Practise = prepare for a sport, game or music by doing exercises
Train = prepare for a sport

(a)I don’t want to _______ football this afternoon because I’m ______ for the Marathon on Saturday.
(b)He’s _______ to be a doctor, and if he passes his exams he will start _______ as a doctor next year.
(c)I’ve been __________ the team to take penalty kicks, and they’ve been __________ shooting at the
goal all the afternoon, but I hope we __________ well enough to win the game without that.

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 Bits 6 - Twelve Considerations When Writing: Spelling, Formatting and Punctuating
Introduction
The primary purpose of punctuation is to ensure the clarity and readability of your writing. Although
punctuation is a matter of personal preference, you still have to work from general rules which are
required by newspapers, publishing houses and academic publications. These are the standard
reference for all the written work you hand in. English punctuation norms are very similar to those for
Catalan or Spanish, but note the differences as you read through the following pages.
Even a short sentence can be ambiguous or even convey the wrong meaning if you do not use
punctuation accurately. For example, how many meanings can you interpret in the following short
sentence? How would you punctuate it do convey the different meanings?
 what is this thing called love

The following notes are meant to be guidelines for punctuation in English and should help resolve
doubts and also minor differences to rules for Catalan and Spanish. For further information, consult the
bibliography at the end.

1. Spelling
Ensure the spelling of your text. Are you using American or American English? What other options
are there? Use your spellchecker to being with! It will not solve all your written mistakes but it will
pick up quite a lot of typos...and it’s free! Always check reliable online dictionaries rather than popular
sources such as Wordreference. For example, Merriam Webster for American English and the Oxford
or Cambridge Dictionaries for British English.

2. Apostrophes
Apostrophes can indicate contractions, but are rarely acceptable in formal texts. The most common
usage is for possessives (’s genitive). To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe
and an s:
 the accountant’s ledger; television’s influence

To form the possessive of a plural noun ending in s, add only an apostrophe:

 the accountants’ ledgers; the soldier’s weapons.

Some irregular plurals require an apostrophe and an s:

 the media’s role; women’s studies.

All singular proper nouns, including the names of persons and places, form their possessives in the
same manner:
 Mars’s wrath; Camus’s novel; Kansas’s weather; Dickens’s popularity.

Also use apostrophes to form plurals of letters (p’s and q’s; A’s, B’s and C’s) but do not use them in
the plurals of abbreviations or numbers (PhDs, MAs, 1990s).

3. Word Division
In general, avoid dividing words at the end of a line manually, as it makes the text easier to read. If the
task specifically requires dividing words, then use the “word-wrap” option on your word processor and
check with a good dictionary when in doubt. Note that the rules for dividing words into syllables in
English is not exactly the same as for Catalan and Spanish.

119
4. Foreign Words
If you are quoting a foreign language, reproduce all accents and other marks exactly as they appear in
the original, e.g.:
 école, frère, tête, leçon, Fähre, año.

They should be in italics (unless part of a quote), but if they have been adopted and in current use for
some time, then writing in italics is not necessary and the accents marks may not be required – for
example “cliché” is no longer written in italics in English despite being a French word. If in doubt,
check with a reputable dictionary.

5. BOLD
Bold print is rarely used in formal writing and reserved for titles and subtitles within an essay, article
or book etc. Its purpose is, like all punctuation, to facilitate reading. Some newspapers, such as El
Periódico, use bold print to highlight key phrases, while some English textbooks do this to make it
easy to find a word/phrase which is part of an exercise or emphasise part of the instructions. But these
are exceptions to the general rule and not accepted in general formal writing.

6. ITALICS
Italics are used to indicate the title of a publication (newspaper, magazine, book, conference
proceedings, etc.):
 Lozano Irueste, J. Nuevo diccionario bilingüe de economía y empresa.
 …this article appeared in yesterday’s edition of The Times.

The other common use for italics is to represent foreign words appearing in the text. But remember
that if a foreign word is now commonplace is not italicised. If in doubt check with an up-to-date
dictionary.

7. QUOTATION MARKS
In academic writing double quotation marks enclose titles of articles and words or phrases purposely
misused or used in a special sense.
 Ernst Gombrich, “Botticelli’s Mythologies. A Study in the Neoplatonic Symbolism of His Circle”,
The Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes no. 8 (1945): 7-60.
 Trump “claims” that the pandemic is under control.

Quotation marks are used to quote part of a text (oral or written) by another person. While both single
or double quotation marks are acceptable, it is more practical to always use double quotation marks if
there is a quote within a quote.
 “The main problem is, according to Dickens, our ‘understanding of social problems’ in the 19 th
century.”

Important note. As opposed to Catalan and Spanish, the ending punctuation is before the ending
quotation mark.
If you are quoting a short text by another writer (e.g. 1-3 lines on the standard formatted page), the
quote is introduced by a comma or colon, a space and then the opening double quotation marks. If you
are quoting a longer text by another writer then the quoted text should be offset and indented.

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8. ELLIPSIS
The main purpose for using ellipsis is to indicate that a section of quoted text has been suppressed.
Use three full-stops “...” when the suppressed text is one or more phrases / sentences within the same
paragraph. Use four full-stops “....” if the suppressed text exceeds the boundaries of one or more
paragraphs.
Ellipsis should never be used in formal writing to denote the idea of etc. or an unfinished
thought, although it is common in informal texts.

9. COMMAS
Commas are probably one of the most important punctuation marks, the most often used and the most
often misused or abused. The following cover the most common uses.

Never use a comma and a dash or opening parenthesis together. If the context requires a comma after
a parenthetical remark (as it does here), the comma follows the closing parenthesis.

9.1. COMMAS AND LISTS

When you have a list of three or more elements (words, phrases or clauses), use a comma to separate
them except the last item if preceded by “and” / “or”. Example:
 My favourite flowers are irises, tulips and lilies.
 To find the lab, go outside, turn left at the tree, walk about fifty yards and turn right.

But some publishers and guidelines prefer to include the final comma, so this rule is flexible.

9.2. COMMAS AND INDEPENDENT CLAUSES

When you have independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, for, nor, so, but,
yet), use a comma to separate them. Example:
 Standard therapy may be less expensive, but sometimes experimental treatments are worth
the money.
 Parliament passed the bill by a wide margin, and the president signed it into law.

However, you can never use a comma to fuse independent clauses. This is probably one of the most
common mistakes.
 I tried to make the deadline it was impossible
To solve this, use a comma followed by a conjunction or relative pronoun. Another minimalist option
would be to use a semi-colon. Note how the message changes in these correct versions:
 I tried to make the deadline, but it was impossible
 I tried to make the deadline, which was impossible
 I tried to make the deadline; it was impossible.

9.3. COMMAS AND INTRODUCTORY CLAUSES AND PHRASES

When you begin a sentence with an introductory clause (like this one) or a long phrase, use a comma
after it to set it off from your independent clause (a.k.a. main sentence). Example:
 Before moving back east, my parents will have to sell their house.
 After carefully studying all the available historical documents and personal writings, scholars
could come to no definitive conclusion.

9.4. COMMAS AND ADJECTIVES

When you have two adjectives both modifying the same thing, use a comma to separate them. To test
whether or not you might need a comma, see if the word and could logically fit in between them. If
so, then add the comma. Example:

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  The careful, patient student will use good punctuation. (CORRECT--the student is both
careful and patient.)
 The careful AND patient student will use good punctuation. (CORRECT)
 The blue, cotton dress is on sale. (INCORRECT)
 The blue AND cotton dress is on sale. (INCORRECT--unless you're talking about 2 different
dresses.)
 The blue cotton dress is on sale. (CORRECT--blue is describing what type of cotton.)
 We listened to an absorbing, frightening account of the event.

9.5. COMMAS AND DATES, NAMES, AND ADDRESSES

Commas are also used to separate the elements that make up dates and names. This is best illustrated
in the following examples:
 January 1, 2002 (more common format).
 1st of January, 2002 (traditional format falling out of use)
 But not in the format, 1 January 2002.
 W.K. Wimsatt, Jr. (a title included after the surname).
 Smith, David. (in a bibliography entry where the surname goes first).
 Tony Blair of 10 Downing Street, London.

9.6. COMMAS AND NUMBERS

Commas are place between the 3rd and 4th digits from the right, the 6th and 7th, and so on. Example:
 1,000
 20,000
 7,654,321

Exceptions to this include page and line numbers, addresses, and four-digit year numbers. Example:
 On page 3322
 At 4132 Broadway
 In 2001
 But not in 20,000 BC

9.7. COMMAS AROUND PARENTHETICAL ELEMENTS

Use commas to set off a phrase that acts as additional information to the sentence. Example:
 The invention of the printing press, the first in a series changes regarding the written word,
completely changed people’s lives.

10. DASHES
Although this may seem obvious, we need to differentiate between a dash and a hyphen. A dash is two
consecutive hyphens “--“ (some publishing houses use an elongated hyphen symbol “—“). A hyphen
is simple "-".

10.1. DASHES AND INTERRUPTIONS

A dash is used to make a side comment or explanation that seems like and abrupt shift from the main
flow of the sentence. Similar to the use of parenthetical commas (see section 1.8.) a dash is placed at
the beginning and end of the comment or explanation, but there is no space between the dash and the
text before and after it. Example:
 The low unemployment figures--Lisbon, for example, had its lowest rate for twenty years--
masked the growing social unrest.

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10.2. DASHES AROUND PARENTHETICAL ELEMENTS THAT REQUIRE A NUMBER OF INTERNAL
COMMAS
 Many twentieth-century American writers--Faulkner, Capote, Styron, Welty, to name but a
few-—come from the South.

11. HYPHENS
11.1. HYPHENS AND PREFIXES
Hyphens are used to join prefixes to capitalised words. Example:
 In a recent post-Renaissance study….

But hyphens are not used after prefixes for non-capitalised words. Example:
 The patient was suffering from prenasal drip.

11.2. HYPHENS AND COMPOUND WORDS

Hyphens join two or more words so that they act as if they were one word (a compound word).
Examples:
 Blair employed the well-established policy of “Britannia waives the rules”.
 This was a first-rate example of a misunderstanding

11.3. HYPHENS AND COEQUAL NOUNS

Hyphens are used to link coequal nouns. Example:
 Lluis Llach is a famous Catalan singer-songwriter.
 The symbolic soldier-poet, Garcilaso de la Vega, died at an early age.

NOTE: Adverbs do not form hyphenated compound words. Example:

 Barça made a wildly unsuccessful debut in the league by losing 0-3.

However, regarding these last two points you need to bear in mind that there are a number of word combinations that do
not require a hyphen and are written as one word, or are written as two separate words. Example:
 The art of storytelling is being lost with the advent of the printed word.
 Even though they were hardworking employees, the company still made them redundant.
 Social security tax has been the subject of recent debate in Parliament.

12. PARENTHESIS
12.1. PARENTHESIS TO INCLUDE AND ADDITIONAL COMMENT
Parentheses, like dashes, indicate a text that is an abrupt break from the general flow of the sentence. In this particular use
parentheses or dashes are a matter of personal choice, although there is a space before and after the parenthetical marks.
Example:
 The low unemployment figures (Lisbon, for example, had its lowest rate for twenty years)
masked the growing social unrest.

12.2. PARENTHESIS AND DOCUMENTING REFERENCES

One case where only parenthesis is acceptable is when there is some kind of documentation reference in the text. Example:
 Asides, or additional information are thus represented in three different manners (see
sections 1.8., 2.2., and 4.1).

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 UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
Facultat de Traducció i d’Interpretació
Foreign Language English B1 - Part 1
Thursday, January 9th, 2020
Teachers: Sarah West, Maeve Howley, Roland Pearson, Geoff Belligoi and Graham Perry

Write all answers in the exam booklets provided

A - Essay
Write an essay of 220 - 250 words on one of the following:

1) Discursive: Violent video games should be prohibited

2) Discursive: Cloning must be banned

3) Discursive: Destroying cultural sites is not acceptable as an act of war

4) Beloved: A portrayal of a mother’s love for her children. Discuss

5) Beloved: “When they caught up with each other, all thirty, and arrived at 124, the
first thing they saw was not Denver sitting on the steps, but themselves”. Discuss

6) Beloved: Both Stamp Paid and Baby Suggs have given themselves their own
names: what is the significance of this? What does the act of renaming signify?
What does it say about the characters who engage in it? Discuss

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 B - Reading Comprehension

In the modern commune, a case of beer is not welcome

P1 - I didn't plan to move into a commune. But when I was sent to San Francisco for two months to cover a
gap in our Silicon Valley news coverage, my housing options seemed unpalatable. I didn’t want to live in
a soulless serviced apartment, and hotels and Airbnbs were horrifically expensive for long stays. So I found
myself trawling Facebook groups with names like “San Francisco flatshare”. A stranger suggested I look at
a spare room in a communal house he knew. I wrote an earnest email introducing myself to its occupants
and asking whether they had a room for a month. A few hours later I was in.

P2 - Communal living has long been part of San Francisco life. Its roots may go back as far as the Barbary
Coast brothels of the 19th century, where living as a community lent a veneer of plausible deniability to sex
work. The commune’s heyday was in the 1960s, when hippies in Haight-Ashbury came together in a
counter-cultural social experiment that other groups across America soon sought to replicate. These days
sharing a space with strangers appeals to many people in the city for financial reasons instead, as the tech
sector has boomed and rents have risen. To some this is an uncomfortable proposition, a regression to the
dormitory life of studenthood. Others have leaned into the situation, aiming to build households that, like
their forebears, are bound with ties other than the traditional ones of family or romance. For me, it was a
way to live with the people whose world I was writing about and immerse myself in a culture that has
spread throughout the Western world.

P3 - The house sits a few blocks from Dolores Park in the Mission District of San Francisco, in one of the
many parts of the city that is now enveloped in the pong of weed. For $1,300 a month I got a basement
room with nice wood floors and a sweeping vista of shoes hurrying across pavement. By San Francisco
standards this is a very good deal. My 16 new housemates included someone who was starting a tech-
driven nursery school from the second-floor rooms and another who was between jobs after becoming
frustrated at Google, and working on software projects that never saw the light of day. One of the more
revered housemates worked for OpenAI, a company focused on research and development of artificial
intelligence.

P4 - At first everything went smoothly. The communal aspects of the house were organised through Slack,
a messaging system for group chats that has become popular in techier workplaces. Household
communications were divided up into different channels, with names like #chores, #activities and
#community-engagement. A channel called #chill-times was used to alert other housemates that you were
hanging out in the kitchen and wanted company. There was #dating, where housemates helped each other
with affairs of the heart. One channel, #empathy, remained silent the whole time I was there.

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P5 - Shared projects abounded. When I moved in the housemates had just finished putting together a wall
of framed photos of themselves as children, an effort that lent a sense of homeliness to our financial
decision to live together. A bookshelf in the kitchen featured reading recommendations from different
housemates. The day I moved in there was a fresh post in #improvement-ideas, the starting point for such
projects. It featured a photo of a waterproof notepad affixed to the inside wall of the shower in the
basement. “Showers are one of the most common places to think up your next big idea or solution”, read a
note, urging housemates “not to let your next idea go down the drain”. The post on the house
messageboard commented that not many people had used the pad yet.

P6 - I made my first mistake early on. It came at one of the dinner parties, which tended to happen
spontaneously: one person would sit down quietly to eat a stir fry, before others joined them with takeout
or leftovers. I brought a case of beer, which seemed to offend the zest for self-improvement that defined the
commune. Sleep, and getting enough of it, was the topic du jour. Entire dinners were spent discussing the
finer points of sleep tracking, which monitoring gadgets worked best (the Oura Ring was popular); how
best to optimise a bedtime schedule; what to eat; what not to drink. I felt like a Neanderthal, supping beer
and interjecting to add that surely it was important to enjoy yourself now and again. This sat oddly with a
group that was on a different path towards self-actualisation. Alcohol disrupts sleep, it turns out.

P7 - My scepticism was sometimes a problem too, not just in the house but in the wider tech community in
San Francisco. By the end of my first month I had been drawn into countless debates about the merits of
super-powerful artificial intelligence. My arguments against the inevitability of human-level AI fell on deaf
ears at best, hostile ones at worse. The entire San Francisco tech world seemed deeply convinced of the
good they were creating in the world.

P8 - I didn’t doubt the optimism and zeal with which many of these individuals worked towards technical
solutions. I actually find it invigorating that, in the tech circles of San Francisco, people have the habit of
telling you about their big idea within minutes of meeting you. But I found many techies that I encountered
intolerant of criticism, with a commensurate lack of self-awareness. Silicon Valley is a place where belief
seems to override self-reflection, and where too few people consider the potential downsides of the whizzy
services they are concocting in their bedrooms and co-working spaces. Perhaps that’s just what you need to
pursue something new. To confront true believers with these doubts is to face a barrage of increasingly
fiery rebuttals, as though to question the system in which people worked was also to undermine the moral
fibre of the individuals within it. In a society where God is definitively dead, and the age of Aquarius now
seems twee, a belief in the power afforded by manipulating the internet and personal computation has risen
to near religious levels.

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P9 - By the end of the month I was yearning for a quieter life. One thing about communal living is that
having space and time to yourself can be tricky, unless you are willing to confine yourself to your
bedroom. I miss the sparky conversations. The sleep optimisation, not so much.

Adapted from The Economist, Hal Hodson

Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. Summarise in 4-5 sentences what day-to-day life was like in the modern commune, what values
were shared, as well as the writer's attitude towards this lifestyle/mindset (P4-P6). (4 points)

2. In what sense were the writer's housing options "unpalatable" (P1)? (2 marks)

3. How is today's communal living different from that of the 1960's (P2)? (2 marks)

4. What does "this" refer to (P2)? (1 mark)

5. Housemates were urged not to let their ideas go "down the drain". What does the idiom mean in this
context and why do you think it was chosen (P5)? (2 marks)

6. How did members of the commune react to the writer's "arguments against the inevitability of
human-level AI" (P7)? (2 marks)

7. What does the writer discover about Silicon Valley (P8)? (1 mark)

8. Look through the article for one-word synonyms for the following words and phrases. (6 points)

i. most popular period

ii. predecessors
iii. unpleasant strong smell
iv. great enthusiasm or eagerness
v. denials or counter-arguments
vi. lively and interesting

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 UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
Facultat de Traducció i d’Interpretació
Foreign Language English B1 - Part 2
Tuesday, January 14th, 2020
Teachers: Sarah West, Maeve Howley, Roland Pearson, Geoff Belligoi and Graham Perry

Write all answers in the exam booklets provided

A - USE OF ENGLISH
Exercise 1 Open Cloze: Read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

The planet Mars, often (1) ___________________ as 'The Red Planet', can be seen from Earth
(2) _________________ the night sky without a telescope. Its size and brightness varies
greatly (3) ______________ to (4) ______________ position.
Countless books have been written (5) __________ Mars. It has always held a fascination for
people (6) ___________ are interested in the possibility of life on other planets. (7)
__________ the first spacecraft visited Mars in 1965, it (8) ______________ believed that
there was water on the planet. But photographs sent back to Earth did not support (9)
__________ belief.
(10) __________ astronomer Phelps stated in 1895 that 'conditions are all favourable for life',
the truth (11) __________ that the planet Mars would be unsuitable for human habitation, not
(12) __________ due to a lack of water, but also (13) __________ of the cold temperatures
and high winds. Therefore, the possibility of humans (14) __________ foot on the Red Planet
in the (15) __________ future is unlikely.
It is possible, (16) __________, that there was life on the Red Planet in the past. Signs of
riverbeds have been found - now dried (17) _________, but perhaps they (18) __________
contained water. And (19) __________ there's water, there is always the possibility of life.
More research will be carried (20) __________ during future missions to Mars.

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Exercise 2 Transformations: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar
meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
Do not change the word given.
You must use between two and five words, including the word given.
1) Bill said he'd never been to such a good restaurant.
WAS
Bill said .................................................... he'd ever been to.

2) The local mechanic always fixes my car.

HAVE
I always ...................................................... by the local mechanic.

3) She regrets not going to the party last Saturday.

WISHES
She ............................................................... to the party last Saturday.

4) Emma failed the exam because she hadn't revised.

HAVE
If Emma had revised, she ......................................................... the exam.

5) In my opinion, the two boys are completely different.

COMPARISON
In my opinion, ...................................................... the two boys.

6) The damaged bridge meant that people could not get to the other side of the city.
PREVENTED
People ............................. to the other side of the city due to the damaged bridge.

7) My sister helped me with my homework.

GAVE
My sister .................................................................. with my homework.

8) Doctors are now saying it is all right to drink a glass of wine daily.
WRONG
Doctors are now saying ....................................... drinking a glass of wine daily.

9) Whose coat is this?

DOES
Who ........................................................................................... to?

10) We took more luggage than we needed.

TAKEN
We ........................................................ so much luggage.

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 B - Summary
The trend for later motherhood is continuing apace. This week, the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) released new data on conception rates for women in England and Wales, showing that teenage
pregnancy rates continued to decline in 2017, and that, for the first time, more women are getting
pregnant in their 30s than in their 20s. But perhaps the most striking trend concerns fortysomethings,
the only age group – for the second year running – whose conception rates are on the increase. This
reflects a dramatic long-term shift: they have more than doubled since 1990.

These are important trends, but the figures give us little information about the broader social, relational
and even reproductive contexts within which women over 40 are becoming pregnant, and how their
experiences of pregnancy might compare with those of younger women. This is something we are
looking to examine with a new interview-based research project at the Institute for Women’s Health at
University College London, exploring the life stories, feelings and opinions of women who are
pregnant in their 40s. While the project is still in its infancy, it has already provided some key insights
as to why increasing numbers of women are having children after 40, and how they feel about later
motherhood.

The ONS report suggests a number of drivers for later motherhood, including women’s increased
participation in higher education and the workforce, more labour market uncertainty and the growing
costs of childbearing and housing. But there is one factor not mentioned at all in the ONS report,
which many women cite as the primary and determining factor in the timing of their pregnancies: their
relationship circumstances.

Many women who become mothers after 40 tell me that rather than deliberately delaying motherhood
they were simply trying to fulfill the necessary conditions for it: they would have been delighted to
have had children earlier if only they had been in a relationship, or in the right relationship. Some had
been through divorce or the dissolution of significant relationships in their 30s, just when they had
expected to be starting families. Others tell stories of partners who were not sufficiently committed or
who did not (yet) want children.

And many bemoan the difficulty of finding the right partner in an era of online dating, with unrealistic
expectations and the seeming endlessness of options contriving to thoroughly disincentivise
commitment, particularly for men. These narratives show us that, although later motherhood is often
discussed exclusively in terms of women’s choices and changing roles in society, it is crucial to
consider how men’s choices and changing relationship dynamics may also be affecting fertility
patterns.

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The ONS statistics also do not give us any information regarding how long women took to conceive;
whether they needed fertility treatment to become pregnant, including the use of donor sperm or donor
eggs; or how many pregnancies resulted in a miscarriage. Women’s susceptibility to age-related
fertility decline and increased reproductive risks as they get older make these particularly pertinent
considerations for the over-40s. The absence of such information obscures the reality that many in this
age group face serious difficulties in conceiving and may suffer complications in carrying their much-
wanted babies, and that many others will – very sadly – remain involuntarily childless.

Among the older women I have spoken to, prolonged struggles to conceive are commonplace, as are
the rollercoaster of fertility treatments and the heart-wrenching experience of miscarriage. Almost all
of these women are extremely grateful for their “miraculous”, “marvellous”, “last-chance” babies,
while at the same time feeling extremely anxious about their “risky”, “tentative”, “too-good-to-
believe” pregnancies.

Older women not only face increased risks of pregnancy loss and medical complications (including
gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia), but also suffer considerable social stigma from those who
consider them “selfish”, “too picky” or “career-driven”.

Although we are fortunate to be living in a time when women have greater reproductive choices and
options than ever before – including increasing possibilities to forge new non-heteronormative routes
to motherhood, with same-sex partners, co-parenting with friends, or going solo with the help of
official or unofficial sperm donors, as well as the choice to remain childfree – it is nevertheless
hubristic to imagine that we are fully in control of our reproductive trajectories. There are, of course,
some women who actively choose to delay childbearing into their 40s for a variety of reasons, and
who, on deciding they are ready, conceive naturally without delay, have healthy pregnancies and
experience uncomplicated deliveries.

But these women are not the majority. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are the lucky
individuals whose fortuitous stories should not give false hope to younger women about the feasibility
or desirability of postponing motherhood until after 40. Fertility can be fickle and precarious,
increasingly so as women get older, and while conceptions for over-40s have significantly increased,
let’s keep in mind that they still account for only 3.4% of all pregnancies. 814 words

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