Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question. Living in the Ice Age I'm a scientist and I arrived here in Antarctica three months ago in December. The temperature is cold but not unpleasant yet. Since arriving, I've worked with about 60 other people getting everything ready for the Antarctic winter. It's been a lot of hard work, but it was fun too. However, a few days ago the ship left taking most of the staff with it, and it won't be back to fetch us until next December. So the hardest thing to get used to is that there are now just fourteen of us because I'm used to working in a large company. I'm living on the same work station I was on ten years ago. It was new then and it's still in good condition and unchanged. The dried food we get is also the same – you forget what real food tastes like after a few weeks. The people working here with me are all different from then, but I'm always happy getting to know new people. Ten years ago, we were able to send taxes to friends and family once a month, but today we can send e-mails and talk on the phone so we don't feel so far away. Last week we went out exploring for a few days. We slept in our very thick sleeping bags to keep the cold out. We always have to wear the right clothes and boots for walking on ice and snow. We were joined together by a rope all the time in case we fell into any holes in the ice. They're too deep to climb out of. The skies were clear and I was reminded how lucky I am to be here. Soon we will get amazing sunsets too. 1. What is the writer trying to do? A. persuade people to work in Antarctica C. describe his own experiences in Antarctica B. complain about his life in Antarctica D. suggest ways of improving life in Antarctica 2. What is difficult for the writer at the moment? A. He is working with a small number of people. C. The weather is too cold. B. There is too much work to do. D. The ship won't return for months. 3. In the writer's opinion, what has improved since ten years ago? A. The living accommodation is better. C. Communications have improved. B. The food is more tasty. D. His colleagues are easier to work with. 4. What particular danger was there when they were exploring? A. the cold B. the holes in the ice C. getting lost D. slipping on the ice 5. Which of the following e-mails did the writer send to a friend? A. I'm getting used to being in Antarctica. Although people had told me what it was like, it's still a shock to experience it myself. B. There hasn't been much to do here yet, so I've spent the time getting to know my colleagues and relaxing. C. It's good to be back here. I'd forgotten how beautiful it is. I'm looking forward to seeing some wonderful sunsets. D. I'll send you my news as often as I can. It won't be long till I'm home, as I've already been here nearly a
