Exercise 1: Read then answer the questions:

LIFE IN THE PAST VERSUS LIFE IN THE PRESENT

Over the last century, there have been many significant changes in the way we live. Obviously, it is difficult to compare the life of ancient people and the life of the people living in the twenty-first century because so many changes have occurred. Even the changes that have occurred over the last ten years are amazing.

To start with, people in the past were not able to travel such long distances within such a short period of time. Nowadays, we have become very mobile. We have fast and comfortable cars. In addition, more and more people travel by plane. Moreover, in the past people had to work harder as they did not have tools and machines to make their work easier. Today, most of the difficult and dangerous work is done by computers and other powerful machines. In the past conditions of living were not as comfortable as they are now. Besides many people could not afford household appliances like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner because those used to be luxurious goods. Another difference between lit ing now and in the past is the fact that nowadays education is accessible to everyone. In the past men were mainly the only ones educated and women were not allowed into public or private schools.

Besides, nowadays it is much easier to find the educational materials and the information you need -thanks to the Internet. We are able to speak to a friend who is on the other corner of the world because we are connected 24/7. Nevertheless, people had better relationships with the neighbours in years gone by.

Medical science has provided wonderful remedies to cure some diseases. Modem surgery has reduced pain, so an operation is no longer a torture.

Another difference is that in the past there were not that many forms of entertainment.

All things considered, it is an obvious conclusion that life has changed significantly during the course of history. In some ways, it is definitely easier to live in the present. However, it is not easy to decide whether it is also better. The scientific achievements and technological progress are amazing. New inventions come up every day and they are supposed to simplify our lives. On the other hand, however, life now is much faster and stressful than it used to be in the past. Moreover, it has also become more dangerous. The standard of living has definitely improved but it can be discussed whether the quality of our lives is also better.

Answer the questions.

1.     Is life nowadays the same as life of our ancestors?

2.     Is life today faster or slower than life in the past?

3.     Has technology made our lives easier or more difficult?

4.     What has happened to the standard of living?

Over the last century, there have been many significant changes in the way we live. Obviously, it is difficult to (06) …………………the life of ancient people and the life of the people living in the twenty-first century because so many changes have occurred. Even the changes that have (07) ………………… over the last ten years are amazing.

People in the past were not (08) …………………to travel such long distances within such a short period of time. Nowadays, we have become very mobile. We have fast and (09) …………………cars. In addition, more and more people travel by plane.

Moreover, in the past people had to work harder as they did not have (10) …………………and machines to make their work easier. Today, most of the difficult and dangerous work is (11) …………………by computers and other powerful machines. In the past (12) …………………of living were not as comfortable as they are now. Besides many people could not afford (13) …………………appliances like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner because those used to be luxurious goods. Another difference (14) …………………living now and in the past is the fact that nowadays education is accessible to everyone. In the past men were mainly the only ones educated and women were not (15) …………………into public or private schools.

06. A. predict                    B. discuss                          C. compare                        D. suppose

07. A. occurred                  B. considered                    C. expressed                      D. arranged

08. A. used                        B. able                               C. might                             D. capable

09. A. skillful                    B. difficult                        C. historical                       D. comfortable

10. A. rules                        B. tools                              C. teams                             D. ideas

11. A. thought                   B. played                           C. done                              D. seen

12. A. conditions               B. performances                C. stories                           D. conflicts

13. A. mobile                     B. physical                        C. bare-footed                   D. household

14. A. within                     B. among                           C. between                         D. behind

15. A. allowed                   B. attended                        C. agreed                           D. appeared

* Read the following passage and choose the best option for each blank to complete the passage.
Over the last century, there have been many significant changes in the way we live. Obviously, it is difficult to (1) …………………the life of ancient people and the life of the people living in the twenty-first century because so many changes have occurred. Even the changes that have (2) …………………
over the last ten years are amazing.
People in the past were not (3) …………………to travel such long distances within such a short period of time. Nowadays, we have become very mobile. We have fast and (4) …………………cars. In addition, more and more people travel by plane.
Moreover, in the past people had to work harder as they did not have (5) …………………and machines to make their work easier. Today, most of the difficult and dangerous work is (6) …………………by computers and other powerful machines. In the past (7) …………………of living were not as comfortable as they are now. Besides many people could not afford (8) …………………appliances like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner because those used to be luxurious goods. Another difference (9) …………………living
now and in the past is the fact that nowadays education is accessible to everyone. In the past men were mainly the only ones educated and women were not (11) …………………into public or private schools.
1. A. predict B. discuss C. compare D. suppose
2. A. occurred B. considered C. expressed D. arranged
3. A. used B. able C. might D. capable
4. A. skillful B. difficult C. historical D. comfortable
5. A. rules B. tools C. teams D. ideas
6. A. thought B. played C. done D. seen
7. A. conditions B. performances C. stories D. conflicts
8. A. mobile B. physical C. bare-footed D. household
9. A. within B. among C. between D. behind
10. A. allowed B. attended C. agreed D. appeared

I.        Read the passage and choose the best option for each blank to complete the passage

Over the last century, there have been many significant changes in the way we live.

Obviously, it is difficult to (1) the life of ancient people and the life of the people living in the 21st century because so many changes have occurred. Even the changes that have (2)over the last ten years are amazing.

People in the past were not (3)  to travel such long distances within such a short period of time. Nowadays, we have become very mobile. We have fast and (4)  cars. In addition, more and more people travel by plane.

Moreover, in the past people had to work harder as they did not have (5)  and machines to make  their  work  easier.  Today,  most  of  the  difficult  and  dangerous  work  is  (6)   by computers and other powerful machines. In the past (7) of living were not as comfortable as they are now. Besides many people could not afford (8)appliances like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner because those used to be luxurious goods. Another difference (9) living now and in the past is the fact that nowadays education is accessible to everyone. In the past, men were mainly the only ones educated and women were not (10)  into public or private schools.

1.  A. predict                B. discuss                    C. compare                  D. suppose

2.  A. occurred             B. considered              C. expressed                D. arranged

3.  A. used                    B. able                         C. might                      D. capable

4.  A. skillful                B. difficult                  C. historical                 D. comfortable

5.  A. rules                    B. tools                        C. teams                      D. ideas

6.  A. thought               B. played                     C. done                       D. seen

7.  A. conditions          B. performances          C. stories                     D. conflicts

8.  A. mobile                B. physical                  C. bare - footed           D. household

9.  A. within                 B. among                     C. between                  D. behind

10.  A. allowed            B. attended                 C. agreed                     D. appeared

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

           Over the last century, there have been many significant changes in the way we live. Obviously, it is difficult to (23) _______ the life of ancient people and the life of the people living in the twenty-first century because so many changes have occurred even the changes that have (24) _______ over the last ten years are amazing.

People in the past were not (25) _______ to travel so long distance within such a short period of time. Nowadays, we have become very mobile. We have fast and comfortable cars. In addition, more and more people travel by plane. (26) _______, in the past people had to work harder as they did not have (27) _______ and machine to make their work easier.

23. A. compare                      B. suppose                    C. predict                     D. discuss

24. A. considered                  B. expressed                  C. occurred                 D. arranged

25. A. capable           B. able                         C. might                        D. use

26. A. However                    B. Therefore                 C. But                         D. Moreover

27. A. rules                            B. ideas             C. tools                        D. teams

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

          In order to stay healthy it is important to have a balanced diet. We should eat enough three main groups of food. These groups are protein, carbohydrate and fat.

Proteins are very important for building our body. They help us to build new cells as old ones die. Meat and milk products are major sources of protein. We can also get protein from fish, eggs and beans.

       Carbohydrate and fat are important to enable us to store energy. Carbohydrates are found in sugar and in cereals. Fat can be found in vegetable oil, in butter and in nuts.

         Our body also needs minerals, such as iron and calcium and vitamins. Fish, vegetables and milk contain most of the minerals we need. Vitamins are found in fresh vegetables and fruit.

28. According to the passage, a balanced diet ___________.

A. contains lots of fruit and vegetables.        B. is high in protein.

C. is needed for good health.                         D. is rich in minerals and vitamins

29. Proteins ___________.

A. can be gotten from rice.                            B. produce meat and milk.                         

C. can only be found in meat.                        D. help our body build new cells.

30. We can get fat from ___________.

A. sugar                      B. vegetables              C. butter                    D. cereals                             

31.Carbohydrates ___________.

A. are not found in rice and cornmeal                          B. allow the body to store energy                            

C.  are the most important of three groups of food         D. supply a lot of protein                             

32. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Vitamins are not necessary for our body.  

B. Iron and calcium are also essential for good health.

C. Fish contain both protein and mineral.       

D. It’s important to eat a balanced died.               

People have come to settle in Britain for centuries from many parts of the world. Some came to avoid political or religious persecution, and others came to find a better way of life or an escape from poverty. The Irish has long made home in Britain. Many Jewish refugees started their new life in the country at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1930s and after the World War II a large number of people from other European countries came to live there. There also have been many people who came from some countries in Asia. According to the results of a recent survey the non-white population of Great Britain was about 2.4 million, 4.5% the total population. Only half of them were born in Britain. Most of the non-white refugees live in the poorest areas of the cities or in the coun­tryside, where they can only get the worst services and low living standards. All they have to suffer is due to racial discrimination. Although progress has undoubtedly made over the last twenty years in several areas, life is not really better to many non-white refugees. However, with their effort, many individuals have got success in their careers and in public life. The proportion of ethnic minority workers in professional and managerial jobs has increased.

Question: 1. What is the text about?

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Question: 2. How many non-white refugees live in Britain?

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Question: 3. What do most of the non-white refugees in Britain have to suffer?

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Question: 4. What does the word “individuals” refer to?

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3. Complete the passage with the comparative form of the adjectives in brackets.

    Is life better now than it was in the past? Of course in many ways life is (1)_________ (easy) now. We live in the world which is (2)_________ (clean) and safer. It is generally (3)_________ (healthy) as well, and because of improvements in medical care, both men and women can expect to live (4)________ (long) lives. Our day-to-day existence is (5)________ (comfortable), but are we (6)_________ (happy)?

    The rhythm of life is faster, and (7)_________ (stressful). People are always in a hurry. In the end it is hard to say things were (8)_________ (good) or (9)_________ (bad) before. As the saying goes ‘the grass is always (10)_________ (green) on the  other side of the fence’.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Living things include both the visible world of animals, plants, and fungi as well as the invisible world of bacteria and viruses. On a basic level, we can say that life is ordered. Organisms have an enormously complex organization. We're all familiar with the intricate systems of the basic unit of life, the cell. Life can also "work." Living creatures can take in energy from the environment. This energy, in the form of food, is transformed to maintain metabolic processes and for survival. Life grows and develops. This means more than just replicating or getting larger in size. Living organisms also have the ability to rebuild and repair themselves when injured. Life can reproduce. Think about the last time you accidentally stubbed your toe. Almost instantly, you moved back in pain. Finally, life can adapt and respond to the demands placed on it by the environment. There are three basic types of adaptations that can occur in higher organisms.

Reversible changes occur as a response to changes in the environment. Let's say you live near sea level and you travel to a mountainous area. You may begin to experience difficulty breathing and an increase in heart rate as a result of the change in altitude. These symptoms go away when you go back down to sea level. Body-related changes occur as a result of prolonged changes in the environment. Using there previous example, if you were to stay in the mountainous area for a long time, you would notice that your heart rate would begin to slow down and you would begin to breath normally. These changes are also reversible. Genotypic changes (caused by genetic mutation) take place within the genetic makeup of the organism and are not reversible. An example would be the development of resistance to pesticides by insects and spiders.

In what way is life organized?

A. Hard 

B. Difficult 

C. Complicated 

D. Problematic

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Living things include both the visible world of animals, plants, and fungi as well as the invisible world of bacteria and viruses. On a basic level, we can say that life is ordered. Organisms have an enormously complex organization. We're all familiar with the intricate systems of the basic unit of life, the cell. Life can also "work." Living creatures can take in energy from the environment. This energy, in the form of food, is transformed to maintain metabolic processes and for survival. Life grows and develops. This means more than just replicating or getting larger in size. Living organisms also have the ability to rebuild and repair themselves when injured. Life can reproduce. Think about the last time you accidentally stubbed your toe. Almost instantly, you moved back in pain. Finally, life can adapt and respond to the demands placed on it by the environment. There are three basic types of adaptations that can occur in higher organisms.

Reversible changes occur as a response to changes in the environment. Let's say you live near sea level and you travel to a mountainous area. You may begin to experience difficulty breathing and an increase in heart rate as a result of the change in altitude. These symptoms go away when you go back down to sea level. Body-related changes occur as a result of prolonged changes in the environment. Using there previous example, if you were to stay in the mountainous area for a long time, you would notice that your heart rate would begin to slow down and you would begin to breath normally. These changes are also reversible. Genotypic changes (caused by genetic mutation) take place within the genetic makeup of the organism and are not reversible. An example would be the development of resistance to pesticides by insects and spiders.

In what way is life organized?

A. Hard 

B. Difficult 

C. Complicated 

D. Problematic