You are going to read an article about instant messaging, a way of communicating using the internet. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A – F for each part (1-6) of the article.  There is an example at the beginning (1).

CHAT WITH FRIENDS IN AN INSTANT (by Chris Toney)

A. Ways to communicate.       D. Speed and flexibility.

B. Getting started.                   E. Communicating with friends online.

C. Choose your category.        F. Long – distance solution.

1. D

Instant messaging –or IM- is more immediate than e-mail as you don’t have to check your inbox for new messages – they appear instantly. Another advantage is that more than two people at a time can join in an IM conversation, so it’s ideal for, say, making social arrangements among groups of friends.

2.

Communication by IM isn’t restricted to text. You can send pictures stored on your computer, and if you have microphones and speakers you can talk – the advantage being that internet charges are usually cheaper than phone calls. If you and a friend have webcams, you can also make a video call, in which you can see as well as hear each other.

3.

John Moran, 13, from Southport uses instant messaging to keep in touch with relatives more often”. Carol Taylor, 24, who lives in Argentina, agrees. “My parents live in the UK, and we prefer using an instant messengers to sending email or text messages as it’s more like a real on the other side of the world. “When I go online I swap messages with my cousins in Australia”, says John. It’s much cheaper than phoning them and means I can speak to them conversation”, she says. “I’d rather chat online than call them as it costs so much less”.

4.

The fist step in using IM is to download a piece of software from one of the websites that offer the service. If you already have friends who use IM, find out which program they have. It’s free, doesn’t take long to download and the only costs you face are the standard call charges while you’re on line.

5. 

Once you’ve installed this software and connected to the Internet you can start exchanging messages with your friends online. Each user of the service has their own user name. If you find out the user name of people you know, you can create a friend lists. Then, when you go on line, the software tells you which of them are also connected to the Internet, and you can send them a message.

6.

The features on offer vary depending on which service you opt for, although there is not much difference between instant messenger packages. As well as allowing you to use microphones and webcams, most give you a range of options regarding your status. You can usually appear as “online”, “busy” or “away from PC”. The “busy” status is useful if you’re online but don’t want to be disturbed. The “away from PC” status is usually used by those who are permanently online (people who have broadband or an office connection) but aren’t always at their computer.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance   E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life  F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work  G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake  H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3: 

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4: 

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5: 

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most

suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There

are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  (10 pts)

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

Paragraph 0:         D

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1:

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2:

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3:

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4:

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5:

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

You are going to read the first part of a newspaper article about gorillas in Uganda. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each part (1 - 6) of the article. There is one extra heading that you do not need to use. There is one example at the beginning (0).

Gorillas in Uganda’s mist

(0) BLACK furry face stared out through the branches. Wide-eyed innocence tinged with mischief. After an hour and a half of hacking through forest, I was face to face with the mountain gorillas of Uganda. For 25 minutes I gazed, transfixed, hardly daring to breathe as two youngsters played out their daily lives, seemingly oblivious to the wonder-struck intruder.

(1) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in the south-west, hides a remarkable secret. Designated a National Park in 1991, this magical, mist-shrouded area is home to roughly 300 mountain gorillas – half the world’s population.

(2) They are split into 23 groups, two of which are now habituated to human presence. The Mbare troop consists of 13 animals. The group was named after the hill – the word means rock in the local dialect – on which they were first spotted.

(3) Six females and six young are led by the silverback male Ruhondezh – literally one who sleeps a lot. Ruhondezh, his back seemingly as wide as a bus, was magnificent. And it was clear that food, rather than sleep, was on his mind as we watched.

(4) One minute, he munched contentedly on the vegetation while members of his family played in the branches above. The next, displaying his 8ft reach, he brought a huge branch crashing down to provide more sustenance.

(5) Being so close to such impressive wild animals brings all your senses to life. In our passive, modern world, it is all too easy to lose touch with these primeval feelings. But in the heart of Africa, crouching just 15ft away, basic instincts rule. I felt a tremendous privilege at being allowed to share, even for a brief time, the lives of these gentle animals, which are on the edge of extinction.

(6) To ensure their survival, the local people must feel there is some worth in keeping the gorillas. To such an end, the park authorities are currently engaged in revenue sharing. A percentage of the money raised from allowing tourists to view the gorillas is ploughed back into the community. In this way, it is hoped the gorillas will be seen as a source of income to be protected. But even so, the long-term survival of one of man’s closest relatives hangs by a thread. Poaching is still one of the biggest dangers.

A. How the gorilla population is organised

B. Meeting the gorillas

C. The leader of the group

D. The location

E. Appreciation of a unique experience

F. The gorillas’ reaction to seeing the author

G. What is done to protect the gorillas

H. What the leader of the group did

You are going to read an article about fitness website on the internet. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is an extra sentence which you do not need to use.

The benefits of fitness online training

                  Thanks to Internet you can now get into shape dressed in your pyjamas. By Lucy Atkins

Fitness experts these days generally agree that “natural exercise” is the answr to our unhealthy lifestyles. An activity such as stair- climbing or running for the bus, they say, gets the heart rate going for five or ten minutes, several times a day, without the boredom of going to a gym or jogging round the park.

But thanks to the Internet it is now at least theorically possible to get into great shape without even changing out of your pyjamas. The web is packed with creative, instant and varied excercises that are often avalablefree. Just start typing and watch the kilos disappear.

Joanna Hall is a fitness expert who has set up a walking club on the Internet. At her Walkative website, she promises that in six weeks you can achieve a 25% increase in fitness levels by following her activity programme based entirely on walking. “These days people are used to finding that what they need online,” she says.

 Perhaps the best way to deal with this problem is just to have a look around and see what’s out there

One click of your mouse can take you, for instance, straight into an aerobics, dance and yoga class, or introduce you to a variety of other lively activities. You can put together your own strength training programmes, concentrate on particularly week body parts or learn new ways of getting fit.

There are so many possibilities that you could spend the entire day sitting on your chair just surfing the websites and chatting with all these new friends you have made.

Quality, however, can be hardeer to find. Some sites try to attempt you into buying DVDs after they’ve started you off with free beginners” programmes.

 Sometimes the quality of the picture or the sound can be extremely poor.

You have to put up with advertisements that suddenly appear on the screen, and there is the annoying tendency of some computers suddenly to pause in the middle of an activity, then return to the the beginning of the video when you start clicking the mouse.

“ Online programmes allow you to fit your training times around other things you have to do, such as going to collge or work,´says Hall. “They can be a very effective and achievable way to exercise, something you can do all year round.” You can use them any time of the day or night, in an office, hotel room or at home. In addition, you do not have to

turn up at a gym or studio on time, wear embreassing clothing, or deal with  annoyingly fit people.

If a particular fitness programme doesn’t fit you, the website may suggest ways of adjusting it to your own needs. It should also, most importantly, offer advice on healthier living in general.

 Some sites will help you brig this about by providing charts showing how much change you can expect for a given amount of exercise. They may even encourage you to keep to your training programme by sending you regular emails, perhaps including a daily “fit tip”

All that is fine, but the trouble is that you do also need to have a certain amount of self-displine to ensure that you keep going once you have started. 

There’s also the danger that family, friends or colleagues could some in and start laughing at you at any time. And there is a risk of injury if you don’t follow the more comples instructions ( though this issue arises with exercise DVDs and poorly taught classes too). Still, if you want a cheap, possibly fuuny and definitely varied ways to get fit, then sit back and surf.

• You are going to read a magazine article about a painting created by a computer. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap (1 – 6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

                                                                                     A computer-generated painting

   Born in Amsterdam in 1606, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is one of the world’s most renowned artists. The prolific painter was famous for his portraits and was admired for his ability to capture real emotions. Unfortunately, like many artists of his time, Rembrandt’s talents were not recognized during his lifetime. The artist died penniless in 1669, after suffering many years of hardship. Interestingly, a painting unveiled in Holland in 2016 has made headlines around the world because it looks as if it was painted by a famous 17th-century Dutch artist.

1. ____________________________________________________________

   It is, in fact, a brand new painting that uses technology to mimic his technique so perfectly that it could easily be mistaken for one created by the great artist himself. The clever forgery, called the ‘Next Rembrandt’, took 18 months to complete and is the result of a collaboration between computer experts and art experts. The team collected data from the Dutch artist’s 346 known paintings to help them imitate as closely as possible his technique, choice of color, structure, texture, and topic. They used facial recognition software and a unique computer program to analyze the individual features of his style. 

2. ______________________________________________________________

   The computer needed as much data as possible to enable it to mimic the artist’s work accurately. Rembrandt painted a large number of portraits, many of which were of men with mustaches wearing black suits with white collars 3. ___________________ They decided that the ‘Next Rembrandt’ would be a portrait of a white male between 30 and 40 years old, wearing black clothes, a white-collar, and a hat.

4. ____________________________________________________________

   The special software system that the team had designed gathered information about Rembrandt’s style based on his use of geometry, the way he placed the objects and people concerning one another in his paintings, and his choice of paint colors. The data was used to generate the facial features for the ‘Next Rembrandt’. The individual elements were put together to form the face and the chest in the same proportions as the original paintings created by the Dutch artist.

5. ____________________________________________________________

   When this had been done, a 3D printer was used to bring the ‘Next Rembrandt’ to life. Comprising 148 million pixels and 13 layers of ultra-violet ink, the ‘painting’ is a clever forgery that looks exactly like an original Rembrandt, at least to the untrained eye. The goal of the project was to start a discussion about how data and technology could become an essential part of the art world. The project was not universally popular and did receive some criticism 6. _______________________________________ They aimed to ensure that the ‘Next Rembrandt’ would be a masterpiece, one that even the famous Dutch artist would be proud of, and they seem to have succeeded.

+ ANSWER:

A. However, many art historians, including Rembrandt experts, were incredibly supportive.

B. Once the subject had been determined, the next stage of the process could begin.

C. These included details like painting strokes, the artist’s preferred angle, and so on.

D. As a result, they actually considered giving up on it at this point.

E. The team then used technology to add depth and texture to their image.

F. The authentic-looking masterpiece is not the work of Rembrandt, though.

G. For this reason, the team settled on creating something similar.

READING 

You are going to read an article about a national vote for people’s favourite tree. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (65-70). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

                       TREE OF THE YEAR

The aim of the national Tree of the Year competition is to promote and celebrate the most interesting trees around the country. Images and descriptions of a shortlist of 28 trees are put online and the public are asked to vote for their favourite.

The four trees that gain the most votes before 5 p.m. on 5th October will be given a grant of £1,000. In addition, all trees that receive 1,000 or more votes will get a grant of £500. The grants may be spent on a tree health check or advice from a tree expert, or an educational event, for example. (65) ………………. 

Among the 28 shortlisted trees there are a wide range of tree species, each with its own unique, fascinating story. For example, the ‘Ding Dong’ tree is a copper beech tree growing in a primary school playground. It was named the ‘Ding Dong’ tree because of a game pupils invented in which they race to touch its trunk, shouting ‘Ding Dong!’ The protective space underneath the 50-year-old tree is used as a magical outdoor classroom, while the indoor classroom displays pictures of the tree through each season of the year. (66) ……………….

Many of the other trees in the competition are remarkable for their age alone. The Craigends Yew, for example, is thought to be up to 700 years old, making it one of the oldest in Scotland. It is an amazing sight as many of its branches have layered. (67) ………………. As a result of these extra growths, the total size when measured around the tree’s crown (the main body of its leaves and branches) is a massive 100 metres.

Another very old tree, the Holm Oak in Kilbroney Park, Northern Ireland, is much loved by local people. It measures 3.6 metres around the trunk, and its beautiful bark looks like the skin of a snake. (68) ………………. The advantage of this lack of uprightness is that young children can climb safely and easily on it. Kilbroney Park is home to many remarkable trees, but this tree was chosen as the favourite by community members.

A 500-year-old veteran oak tree stands in the ancient woodland pasture at Carngafallt in Wales. One of the interesting things about this twisted, hollow tree is that it has several ‘air trees’ growing out of it. An ‘air tree’ is one growing without its roots touching the ground. (69) ………………. It extends its roots down inside the oak’s hollow trunk.

The original Bramley apple tree in Nottinghamshire is younger than many in this competition, but is the famous parent of all modern Bramley apple trees. (70) ………………. Many years later, Matthew Bramley, the new owner of the tree, was carrying some of his fruit when he met a gardener called Henry Merryweather. Henry asked if he could take some cuttings from Matthew's trees to grow his own trees. Mr Bramley agreed, provided they were named ‘Bramley's Seedling’.

I. Read the following article. Ten sentences or parts of a sentence have been removed form the article. Choose from the list (A-L) the one which best fits each gaps (1-10). There are two extra options which you do not need to use.                                                PARENT TALK

It is well known that (1)____ . One of the most common things that parents do is (2)____. In fact, over 40% of what parents say to their young children is questions. This is much, much more question asking than you will hear (3)____ . Parent – child questioning falls into a few different categories. Most common is a “test question”. Parents often ask this kind of questions to find out (4)____ . For example, a father may ask, “what’s that?” when a child picks up a toy. Obviously, the father knows the answer; he just asks to see (5)____ . Very young children enjoy and benefit from questions like such. These questions are different from “request for information”. (6)____ is when a child is in the living room and the mother is in the kitchen and asks, “What are you doing?”(7)____. “Directives” are often stated (8)____. For example, a parent might say, “can you put these toys away?” or “Put these toys away, OK?” (9)____ but simply to follow the direction. “Interaction markers” are also common.(10)____. For example, if a father doesn’t understand what a child is saying, he might say, “what?” Or if the child doesn’t answer, he might say, “Huh?” Some language experts think that asking a lot of all these types of questions helps children to learn language more quickly.

List of sentences/ parts of sentences

A. if the child knows what it is

B. Parents ask these types of questions in order to keep a conservation going C. as a request or as a command in question form

D. so that everything is clear

E. The parent actually wants to know

F. An example of this type of question

G. what a child knows

H. young children learn a lot from their parents

I. The child can always understand them

J. The parent does not expect the child to answer

K. when adults talk to adults

L. ask their children questions
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